After 18 months captivity in Gaza, American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander now free
· UPIMay 12 (UPI) -- Hamas on Monday released Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage in Gaza, after 18 months in captivity.
The militant group handed over Alexander, 21, to the Red Cross at about 6:30 p.m. local time, and he stepped on Israeli soil before a medical assessment and a tearful reunion with his family in Tel Aviv. He was held captive for 583 days since Oct. 7, 2023.
Al Jazeera posted an image of Alexander, in which he wearing a black Adidas T-shirt and baseball, while being turned over to the Red Cross. He is shown standing unassisted and is flanked by three armed, masked militants.
Alexander was tortured and was held handcuffed in a cage for an extended period of time, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corp. reported, as he reportedly was interrogated for weeks and held in a Hamas tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip alongside other hostages.
His mother Yael, spoke to her son in Hebrew on the phone given to her by U.s. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
"You're out, my soul, you're out!" she said in a video by Israel Defense Forces. "Everything's all right, you're fine, you're safe, you're home. Everything is good. You've got this. You're strong. We're meeting soon."
Later she and other family members, including his father Adi embraced him in Tel Aviv.
In a statement obtained by the Jerusalem Post, Hamas said it "just released the Zionist soldier holding American citizenship, the prisoner 'Edan Alexander,' following communications with the American administration, as part of the efforts made by the mediators to reach a ceasefire, open the crossings, and bring in aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip."
Hamas urged "President Trump's administration to continue its efforts to end this brutal war waged by the war criminal Netanyahu against children, women, and unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip."
Trump, who on Monday began his Middle East tour to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, had sought for the American's release.
Israel will send officials negotiating on a cease-fire to Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
"This is a very emotional moment -- Edan Alexander has returned home," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted in a video message on X. " We embrace him and we embrace his family. This was achieved thanks to our military pressure and the diplomatic pressure applied by President Trump. This is a winning combination."
Trump earlier wrote on Truth Social: "I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen. This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators -- Qatar and Egypt -- to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones. Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!"
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum celebrated his release.
"We embrace you, Edan, and are so glad you are home," the group posted on X. "We hope your return is the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that is needed to bring all 58 hostages home. "
His family thanked Trump, Witkoff and other members ofTrump administration for their "tireless work to make this happen."
Witkoff, who told CNN the talks with Hamas were indirect, is expected to meet Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The mother boarded a flight to Israel on Sunday night to meet her son after his release.
She told CNN in March her son was "such an American kid, full of life, very funny, very friendly."
On Sunday, Hamas announced it had agreed to free Alexander after several days of negotiations with the United States.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV that they directly negotiated with the United States to free Alexander in exchange for the resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
"The ball is now in the American and Israeli court. We gave the Americans what they asked for. They need to get the other side to give things, too," an Hamas official told NPR.
Residents in his hometown of Tenafy, N.J., nears Yonkers, N.Y., watched a livestream of his release.
Alexander abducted by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, while serving in the Israeli military near the Gaza border. He moved to Israel when he was 18.
With Alexander's release, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 20 believed to be alive. Among the four dead are American citizens, including husband and wife Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai, and soldiers Itay Chen and Omer Neutra.
In all, 251 people in Israel were taken hostage when Hamas attacked Israel.
Under a cease-fire deal that began on Jan. 19, Hamas had released 38 hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. The cease-fire ended on March 1.
Israel has blocked aid for more than 10 weeks to pressure Hamas to release more hostages.
idf was to resume fighting in Gaza after Alexander was in Israeli territory, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
The Hamas-run Gaza health authorities say more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks on the territory since the start of the war. About 1,200 people in Israel were killed in the attacks.