Edan Alexander, who returned home this past Monday after being held hostage by Hamas for nearly a year, shared with his family the brutal conditions he faced throughout his ordeal.
As reported by Ulpan Shishi, Edan was constantly moved from one location to another during his captivity. In one especially perilous transfer, he was smuggled through a busy marketplace while hidden in a donkey cart. His face was covered, and a Hamas operative, disguised as a woman, accompanied him.
Over the course of his detention, Edan was imprisoned in a range of places, including subterranean tunnels, private homes used as safe houses, mosques, schools, and even tents meant for displaced people. The conditions were severe and degrading. He told his family that he had to survive by drinking seawater and consuming filthy bread. Describing the experience, Edan called it “a year of hell.” His physical condition deteriorated drastically—he lost nearly 20 kilograms, or around 44 pounds.
A deeply moving moment came when the terrorists showed Edan a photo of his parents alongside US President Donald Trump at the gravesite of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The visit took place on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks. It was through this photograph that Edan realized his family had been advocating for his freedom on a global scale.
Alexander, who holds dual Israeli-American citizenship and was raised in New Jersey, was captured during the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on his military base.

{Matzav.com Israel}