Edan Alexander, an American Israeli soldier held hostage for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip was released Monday, Hamas said, in a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed shortly afterward on the social media platform X that one hostage has been handed over to the Red Cross and is “currently being accompanied by [Israel Defence Forces] special forces on his return to Israeli territory, where he will undergo an initial medical assessment and meet with his family.”
“584 days later, Edan is finally home,” the IDF wrote on X.
Alexander’s release comes just ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the region this week.Â
Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander’s extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They cheered and chanted his name when the military said he was free. His grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. In a Tel Aviv plaza now known as Hostages Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers.
Alexander was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas’s cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies, setting off the war in Gaza.
His release would be the first since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March, unleashing fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds over the last two months.Â
In total, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and reduced much of Gaza to ruins.
Israeli strike hits school
Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in the Gaza Strip killed about 16 people in the embattled enclave, mostly women and children.
At least five children and four women were among those killed in the strike on a school in the Jabaliya area, the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said, adding that a number of people were wounded.
The Israeli military blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying its fighters operate in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment on the latest strike.
Israel has promised to intensify its offensive in recent days, including by seizing the territory and displacing much of its population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn’t lifted.
Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel’s terms.
Israel says 59 hostages, including Alexander, had remained in captivity, with about 24 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.
Television footage had also shown Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, arriving at the Reim military base in southern Israel, where her son was expected to be taken first. Alexander’s grandmother said she had barely been able to sleep and had baked Edan’s favourite foods, some of which she sent to the military base.
Israel has approved a plan to intensify military operations against Hamas by seizing Gaza, establishing new bases and staying for an unspecified amount of time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the population of Gaza will be moved to the south.
A previous version of this video contained the incorrect number of hostages.
‘Time is running out’
In a post on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump on Sunday called the planned release “a step taken in good faith toward 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!” Trump wrote.
Trump — who is travelling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week — is not scheduled to stop in Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Monday with the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. They discussed efforts to release the remaining hostages, his office said.
“To this end, Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that a negotiations team leave for Doha tomorrow,” the Prime Minister’s Office said, adding that Netanyahu had “made it clear that the negotiations would only take place under fire.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing relatives of hostages, welcomed the news that an Israeli delegation was headed to Doha for talks.
“While Edan Alexander’s release gives us hope, all 58 of our loved ones must come home. Time is running out. These negotiations must bring everyone back,” the group said in a statement. “Trump’s plan offers a real path to freeing all hostages immediately. Every passing day puts their lives at greater risk. We cannot wait any longer.”
