On Tuesday, the parents of Edan Alexander, who was recently freed after being held hostage, publicly voiced their appreciation to President Donald Trump, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and hostage negotiator Adam Boehler, praising their tireless efforts that led to their son’s safe return.
The United States successfully mediated an agreement with Hamas that led to Edan’s release. After 584 days in captivity, he was freed on Monday and is currently recovering at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. It was from there that his parents addressed reporters.
Both Yael and Adi Alexander, Edan’s parents, chose not to acknowledge the Israeli government in their public statements. Instead, they directed their words toward Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, urging him to act immediately to secure the freedom of the remaining hostages. “I say that the return of Edan should be only the beginning of bringing back the rest of the hostages,” said Yael Alexander. “We have no time to wait. Time is running out, and the world is watching us.”
Adi Alexander shared that Witkoff had personally informed American officials when Edan safely crossed back into Israel and rejoined his family.
In addition to his behind-the-scenes efforts, Witkoff coordinated a phone conversation between Edan and President Trump on Tuesday. He also participated in a call between Edan and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The Alexanders gave their remarks from the hospital’s main atrium, surrounded by their two younger children and extended family members, all of whom held up photographs of other hostages still being held by Hamas.
Both Yael and Adi were born in Israel but have been living in Tenafly, New Jersey, for two decades.
Their son Edan, the oldest of the couple’s three children, was born in the United States. Upon graduating from high school, he made the decision to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces as a lone soldier.
He is the first male soldier abducted during Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, assault to be returned alive to Israeli soil.
At the time of the attack, Edan was stationed with the IDF’s Golani Brigade and was taken from the White House outpost near Kibbutz Nirim, adjacent to the Gaza border.
“President Trump, Steve Witfkoff, and Adam Boehler worked day and night to bring back my son,” Yael Alexander said during her remarks from Ichilov Hospital.
On Sunday, after receiving word that Edan’s release was imminent, Yael flew to Israel alongside Boehler and his team. Adi and the couple’s other two children joined her later on a commercial flight.
Adi Alexander expressed deep gratitude to both Witkoff and Boehler, acknowledging that their family would never be able to fully convey how much their efforts meant. “We’ll never forget the tireless effort on Edan’s behalf; we are in their debt,” he said.
Yael also extended her thanks to the people of Israel for their support and solidarity during the family’s long ordeal. “Most of the public believes that bringing back the hostages is the most important goal, a national and Jewish goal,” she said. “It’s not about the political right or left, but about the human heart.”
She recounted some of the terrifying stories Edan had told her since his return—how he had endured fear, deprivation, and despair. He described how during Israeli airstrikes, when buildings in Gaza were being destroyed, he feared he wouldn’t survive. “The strikes and bombs made him think that every moment was about to be his last one,” she said. “Edan, my hero, you returned from the horror. But other hostages are still living through that threat, they are still living in that hell. My heart has returned to beating, but they still need to return home.”
She said every single day of Edan’s captivity felt endless, like a lifetime in itself.
Adi Alexander followed his wife’s emotional words by affirming her message in English. “It’s wonderful to have Edan home,” he said. “It’s a gift from God to watch him hug Yael, his brother and his sister, knowing that his suffering is over and that our family can begin to heal.”
He added that Edan, who recently turned 21, would soon fly back to their home in New Jersey, where he is looking forward to being reunited with his friends.
Adi joked that some of the joyful moments ahead might “include a beer or two,” and noted that Edan had already enjoyed his first beer after being freed—on the hospital’s rooftop—a moment the young man himself shared on social media.
“This isn’t just about our family,” said Adi. “Tomorrow, a new set of negotiations will begin that could lead to more hostages coming home and eventually the end of this war.”
He emphasized that for him and his loved ones, the fight to bring back the remaining 58 hostages is not over. “For me and my family, the effort to bring home all 58 hostages will continue until they’re all at home,” he added. “Hopefully, these negotiations will lead to that moment.”
Later that day, right-wing media personality Yinon Magal criticized Yael Alexander for not thanking Netanyahu in her public comments. He condemned her remarks as a “repulsive performance of ungratefulness and lack of culture.”
“Only in the toxic and disturbed atmosphere that the left and media are creating here can this happen,” Magal posted on X.
During his show “The Patriots” on Channel 14, Magal also targeted Edan himself, questioning the nature of the circumstances under which he had been taken.
Magal’s comments sparked strong backlash, including from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which condemned the statements as a disgraceful assault on a family that had already suffered so much.
“Just as Yael Alexander said this evening: We choose unity, love of mankind and commitment to the values we were raised on. Time has run out, the world is watching and history will remember,” the organization stated in response.
According to Channel 12, Edan emerged from his time in captivity with multiple injuries, including wounds from beatings he suffered early on. The report also detailed flea bites and visible bruising all over his body.
He endured torture during his time as a prisoner, including a period when he was kept blindfolded with a bag over his head. He only learned about his impending release on Monday morning—mere hours before he was actually freed.
Food during his captivity was scarce and generally consisted of pita, rice, and beans. However, during the January to March ceasefire, his meals improved somewhat and began to include meat and lamb. These details align with the testimonies of other hostages who have returned.
Due to his American citizenship, Edan was considered valuable by Hamas, who reportedly referred to him as “The American.”
Throughout his captivity, Edan was transferred between various locations, including both above-ground buildings and tunnels beneath Gaza. Senior members of Hamas were responsible for guarding him, and they provided him with updates about the ongoing war as well as details about the October 7 attack.
In one instance, Edan narrowly escaped harm when a tunnel he was held in collapsed, according to Channel 12. The final location where he was kept was described as a relatively spacious underground tunnel.
Edan also reported seeing televised interviews of his family advocating for his release—a powerful reminder that he was not forgotten.
{Matzav.com Israel}