Hamas releases Edan Alexander, the last living American Israeli hostage in Gaza

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 12, 2025 12:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

An American Israeli worker held hostage for much than 19 months successful the Gaza Strip was released Monday, Hamas said, successful a goodwill motion toward the Trump medication that could laic the groundwork for a caller ceasefire with Israel.

The Israeli subject confirmed soon afterward connected the social media level X that 1 hostage has been handed implicit to the Red Cross and is connected his mode to Israeli forces successful Gaza.

Edan Alexander was taken from his subject basal successful confederate Israel during Hamas's cross-border onslaught connected Oct. 7, 2023, which acceptable disconnected the warfare successful Gaza. His merchandise would beryllium the archetypal since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas successful March, unleashing fierce strikes connected Gaza that person killed hundreds.

Israel has promised to intensify its violative successful caller days, including by seizing the territory and displacing overmuch of its colonisation again. Days earlier the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked each imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian situation and sparking warnings astir the hazard of famine if the blockade isn't lifted.

Israel says the steps are meant to unit Hamas to judge a ceasefire statement connected Israel's terms.

Israel says 59 hostages, including Alexander, had remained successful captivity, with astir 24 of them said to beryllium alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants successful the 2023 onslaught were freed successful ceasefire deals.

Television footage showed Alexander's mother, Yael Alexander, arriving astatine the Reim subject basal successful confederate Israel, wherever her lad was expected to beryllium taken first.

Alexander's grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, said she had hardly been capable to slumber and had baked Edan's favourite foods, immoderate of which she sent to the subject base.

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