Freed Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander returns to Israel from Gaza

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2025-05-13 03:12:00

Released hostage Edan Alexander (C) arrives at a reception facility in southern Israel, on May 12, 2025. Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel on Monday evening after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel on Monday evening after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Alexander arrived at southern Israel's Re'im military base adjacent to the Gaza Strip to reunite with his family, who landed only a few hours earlier from the United States.

A photo taken earlier in Gaza showed Alexander, wearing a black T-shirt and a baseball cap, being accompanied by armed Hamas militants and a woman from the Red Cross during a handover process.

Alexander was released following direct talks between Washington and Hamas. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the release, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform: "Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, is being released. Congratulations to his wonderful parents, family, and friends!"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the country "embraces" Alexander. He stressed that the Israeli government "is committed to the return of all hostages and missing persons -- both the living and the fallen," vowing to "act tirelessly until they are all brought home."

Israeli Health Ministry Spokeswoman Shira Solomon said Alexander was undergoing an initial medical assessment at the reception facility in Re'im base and would later be transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

"Medical teams and staff at the hospital are well-prepared to provide all necessary medical, psychological, and rehabilitative care for Alexander, as well as support for his family and any other needs that may arise," Solomon said in a statement.

In Hostages Square, a public plaza located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and renamed following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, hundreds gathered to watch Alexander's return on large screens. They held up photos of the freed hostage and signs reading: "Only an end to the war in Gaza would secure the release of the remaining hostages."

Hamas sources earlier confirmed that Alexander was handed over to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross at a designated location in southern Gaza's Khan Younis city. He was then transferred to the buffer zone controlled by the Israeli army before heading to the Re'im military base.

Eyewitnesses in Khan Younis reported that Israeli military activities in the area were halted before and during the release, and the atmosphere remained relatively calm.

In a press statement, Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, said Alexander was released as part of the efforts made by mediators to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach Gaza.

Alexander is a U.S.-born soldier serving in the Israeli army. He was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, in the Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others.

His return marks an important step toward a new round of negotiations on a Gaza truce deal that will, after the return of Alexander, also secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. The negotiations are expected to begin on Tuesday with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Netanyahu's office announced that an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha for talks, but stressed that the talks would take place "only under fire."

Since October 2023, Israeli fire has killed 52,862 Palestinians and injured 119,648 others in Gaza, according to local health authorities on Monday. ■

Released hostage Edan Alexander (Rear) arrives at a reception facility in southern Israel, on May 12, 2025. Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel on Monday evening after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Xinhua)

A helicopter carrying released hostage Edan Alexander arrives at a medical center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 12, 2025. Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel on Monday evening after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement. (JINI via Xinhua)

A man waits to watch a live stream of the release of Israeli-U.S. hostage Edan Alexander from the Gaza Strip at a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 12, 2025. The United States informed Israel on Sunday that Hamas would release Edan Alexander, a U.S. born soldier in the Israeli army, who was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, in a Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

People wait to watch a live stream of the release of Israeli-U.S. hostage Edan Alexander from the Gaza Strip at a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 12, 2025. The United States informed Israel on Sunday that Hamas would release Edan Alexander, a U.S. born soldier in the Israeli army, who was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, in a Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua)

People watch a live stream of the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 12, 2025. Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel on Monday evening after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel's Defense Ministry said in a statement. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua)