Edan Alexander, who was freed from Hamas captivity on Monday, endured extreme physical and psychological hardship during his time in Gaza. According to his own account, the early days of his abduction were “hell,” with much of that period spent restrained and blindfolded. His mother, Yael, said Tuesday evening that the constant bombings he experienced left him paralyzed with fear. At one point, a tunnel in which he was being held caved in, but he narrowly escaped without injury.
Edan was reunited with his family Monday night at Ichilov Hospital – Sourasky Medical Center. Throughout his captivity, he was held by high-ranking members of Hamas, regarded as a strategic bargaining chip due to his U.S. citizenship. He was kept informed of the war’s progress and even watched televised interviews with his family. His diet during active combat phases was limited to rice, pita, and beans. When hostilities paused, his meals became more substantial, including dishes with lamb and beef.
The early period of his imprisonment involved beatings and harsh torture. When he returned, he bore visible injuries and was covered in flea bites. He told Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that his body felt drained and that he would require time to regain his strength. On Tuesday, he joined his family on the hospital roof to absorb some sunlight and fresh air.
Despite his own ordeal, Edan voiced his deep concern for the remaining 58 hostages still held in Gaza. Of those, 20 are confirmed to be alive, while the status of three—including soldier Tamir Nimrodi and two foreign nationals—remains unknown.
Speaking at the hospital on Tuesday night, Yael Alexander opened up about the dire conditions her son endured: extreme hunger, severe dehydration, and utterly unsanitary living conditions. “Every day that passed felt like an eternity. Every minute was a struggle between hope and despair. The most horrifying sounds were those of war unfolding above their heads,” she said. “Deafening explosions, the whistling of missiles, and the sounds of collapse, destruction, and the ground shaking. Every moment could have been the last.”
Yael expressed appreciation to President Donald Trump, as well as to his envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, and other members of the administration who worked to secure her son’s release. She also issued a heartfelt plea to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu as negotiations resumed in Doha. “In Israel, the heart of the people is strong, clear, and unified. An overwhelming majority of the public, from all sectors of society, believes that bringing the hostages home is a supreme moral, Jewish, and national duty,” she stated. “This is not an issue of right or left, religion or nationality, but of basic human compassion.”
Her message to Israeli leadership was urgent and direct: “The people are united and demand that the return of all the hostages be prioritized above all else. Edan’s return must only be the beginning. All the hostages must come home as soon as possible—those alive for rehabilitation and the fallen for proper burial. We have no right to stop until this happens. Time is running out. The world is watching. And history will remember.”
In a deeply emotional moment following his release, Edan received a necklace from Steve Witkoff. The Star of David pendant had once belonged to Witkoff’s late son Andrew, who passed away at the age of 22—the same age as Edan. Witkoff said he had worn the necklace for over 25 years and now wanted Edan to have it.
Later that night, the White House shared video footage of a phone conversation between Edan and President Trump, who called from Riyadh. This followed earlier footage released of Edan’s in-person meeting with Steve Witkoff at the hospital.
{Matzav.com}