1 week ago
2
(NewsNation) — An American-Israeli hostage who was held captive successful the Gaza Strip for much than 19 months has near Israel amid Iranian strikes.
NewsNation confirmed Edan Alexander evacuated Israel connected Wednesday with his parent connected a peculiar evacuation formation backmost to the U.S. Once connected American soil, helium volition instrumentality to his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey, connected Thursday.
"I privation to archer you, Edan, we emotion you and we are truthful blessed you're back," Yitzchak Gershovitz, his household rabbi, told CBS News. "This is our brother. Our lad returns home, and our hearts are afloat of joyousness and happiness. There's lone 1 word: it's a occurrence of God."
The U.S. Embassy successful Israel was moving Thursday to evacuate Americans via formation and cruise ship, arsenic the Israel-Iran struggle ramps up and President Donald Trump weighs potential U.S. subject action.
Edan Alexander held hostage for 19 months
Taken from his subject basal successful confederate Israel during Hamas’ onslaught connected Oct. 7, 2023, Alexander was 1 of 251 kidnapped during the unit that claimed astir 1,200 lives.
He was believed to beryllium the past remaining American-Israeli hostage successful Gaza.
During his captivity, his mother, Yael Alexander, told NewsNation, "It’s very, precise pugnacious to aftermath up each day. It’s a nightmare, but this is our beingness now, and immoderate we are doing, it’s not enough."
Edan Alexander was reunited with household aft being released by Hamas. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Edan Alexander, left, is pictured with his father, Adi. Hamas kidnapped Alexander during the warfare successful Gaza, and helium remains successful captivity. (Alexander Family)
Edan Alexander was reunited with household aft being released by Hamas. (Israel Defense Forces)
People ticker a unrecorded broadcast of Israeli-American worker Edan Alexander arsenic helium is released from Hamas captivity successful Gaza, astatine a plaza known arsenic the hostages quadrate successful Tel Aviv connected May 12, 2025. Alexander was abducted during the Hamas-led onslaught connected his basal connected Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
After 584 days successful captivity, Alexander was released May 12 arsenic portion of a woody brokered by the Trump administration.
Israel’s retaliatory violative successful Gaza has killed much than 55,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants successful its count. The run has destroyed ample areas of Gaza and displaced astir 90% of its population.
Hamas was hopeful to usage Alexander's merchandise to revive ceasefire talks, but Israel launched a renewed violative days later. A imperishable ceasefire has not yet been reached.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
