After nearly two years in captivity, 21-year-old Edan Alexander is set to return home. Hamas has announced the release of the Israeli-American soldier, the last known living US citizen held hostage in Gaza. This move is seen as a significant step towards a possible ceasefire and a much-needed opening for humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged region.
Edan’s grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, has spent every day since his capture calling for his return, often holding his photo near the fence of their kibbutz. Her prayers, it seems, may finally be answered.
The breakthrough comes just ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East. According to sources close to the talks, Hamas has been negotiating directly with a US official in Qatar. A senior Palestinian official described the planned release as a gesture of goodwill aimed at reviving stalled peace efforts.
President Trump confirmed the news on social media, calling it “monumental” and a “step taken in good faith.”
Edan, who was born in Tel Aviv but raised in New Jersey, was serving in an elite Israeli infantry unit near Gaza when he was captured during Hamas’s surprise assault on October 7, 2023. That attack left about 1,200 people dead and over 250 taken hostage. Today, 59 are still held, and only around two dozen are believed to be alive.
His family, after enduring 583 agonizing days of uncertainty, released a statement expressing profound gratitude:
> “We’ve received the greatest gift imaginable—our beautiful son Edan is coming home. We thank President Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the entire US team for never giving up. But this fight isn’t over. We urge negotiators not to stop until every hostage is freed. No one should be left behind.”
Alexander’s release could open the door to further talks. Both Egypt and Qatar have welcomed the development, describing it as a hopeful sign toward renewed negotiations.
But tensions remain high. While Israeli officials confirmed they were informed of the release plans, they stressed it was not tied to any formal ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said military operations would continue, and that the release was achieved under sustained pressure on Hamas.
Behind the scenes, frustration is reportedly growing within the Trump administration over Netanyahu’s hardline stance. His government continues to reject any deal that includes ending the war, despite international pressure and internal dissent.
The humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to climb. In the 70 days since Israel imposed a full blockade, the region has faced a devastating food and medicine shortage. Aid groups warn of mass starvation, and the UN has identified at least 10,000 cases of severe malnutrition among children. Food prices have soared by over 1,000%, and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.
Since the war resumed in mid-March, more than 2,700 Palestinians have been killed according to Gaza’s health ministry. The total death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict has surpassed 52,000.
As Trump prepares to land in the region, Israel has warned that, absent a breakthrough, it will escalate its campaign. Plans reportedly include seizing Gaza territory indefinitely and bypassing the UN in aid distribution, a move humanitarian groups condemn as an attempt to “weaponize” relief efforts.
Still, for one family—Edan Alexander’s—this moment brings a flicker of light in a time of darkness. Their son is finally coming home. The hope now is that his release marks the beginning of the end—for him, and for the many others still trapped by a war that has cost too much, for too long.