Hamas freed the last living American citizen held hostage in Gaza, following talks between the US and the group ahead of a Middle East visit by President Donald Trump.
The US engaged with Hamas to help secure the release of Edan Alexander despite Washington designating the Iran-backed group a terrorist organization. Israel appeared to have little say over the negotiations and was informed of the outcome by the US on Sunday evening.
Trump, who has hosted Alexander's parents at the White House multiple times, hailed his release as the first of "final steps" needed to end the war between Israel and Hamas. The 21-year-old is the first hostage to be released since a truce in the conflict expired in early March before Israeli air strikes on Gaza resumed.
Alexander, who grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, and holds dual US-Israeli citizenship, had been serving as a soldier for the Jewish state when he was captured during the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and triggered the war.
"He's coming home to his parents, which is really great news to me," Trump said in a social media post. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said he was "incredibly relieved and thankful" for Alexander's release.
In downtown Tenafly, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate and watch his release on a large screen. The wealthy suburb about a half-hour drive from midtown Manhattan has a large Israeli population, and Alexander joined the Israel Defense Forces after graduating from Tenafly High School in 2022. The crowd on Monday waved Israeli flags, and a large yellow banner read, "WELCOME HOME EDAN."
Hamas confirmed it had released Alexander in a statement on Telegram. The IDF later said he was handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who in turn brought him to Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.
He was then taken over the border to a reception area in Israel, where he underwent a medical assessment and met with his family. Afterwards, he was transported by helicopter, with his family, to a Tel Aviv hospital for further medical treatment.
People waving Israeli flags lined the route to the reception area near Gaza's border, cheering as Alexander's motorcade went past. Hundreds also gathered in Tel Aviv's "Hostages Square," an area where families of hostages and supporters have encamped since the October 2023 attack, to watch news of his release on large screens. Many of them held photographs of loved ones who are still in captivity.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Alexander's release was accomplished thanks to pressure from the Israeli military and President Trump. "This is a winning combination," he said.
In March, the US rejected a similar proposal from Hamas for Alexander's release after the two sides talked in Qatar. At the time, Israel made clear its objections to the idea - which many in Israel saw as favoring one hostage over others - and to the US talking with Hamas.
Earlier on Monday, Israel said it would send a negotiating team to Qatar on Tuesday as part of the latest efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, prior to a planned military escalation.
Ahead of Alexander's release on Monday, Israeli security cabinet minister Eli Cohen said the government was prepared to discuss a plan from Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff under which 10 more hostages would be freed by Hamas. The rest would follow once a deal to end the war is agreed. Israel insists that must include stripping Hamas of power and the militant group disarming.
The 58 remaining hostages include four other dual American-Israelis, all of whom have been declared dead.
More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its offensive, according to health officials in the Hamas-governed strip.
Critical aid has been blocked from entering the ravaged enclave since March, with international pressure on Israel growing to allow it to resume. More than 400 Israeli troops have also been killed since the Gaza offensive started.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
