While visiting Ichilov Hospital, Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, presented a profoundly meaningful gift to Edan Alexander, a survivor of Hamas captivity. Witkoff gave Edan a Magein Dovid necklace that once belonged to his son, Andrew, who passed away at the age of 22 — the same age as Edan. Witkoff explained that he had worn the necklace close to his heart for over two decades and now felt moved to pass it on to Edan.
Later in the day, more information came to light regarding the harrowing treatment Alexander suffered while being held by Hamas. Reports described how he was forced to keep his head covered with a sack and was brutally beaten during the early stages of his captivity.
He recounted an emotional moment when he saw images of his mother and grandmother on television, a sliver of familiarity in a world of fear. He only learned of his impending release the day before it happened, and even then, he couldn’t believe it until the final moments, when it became clear that he was actually going home.
Edan’s mother shared the anguish of her son’s experience, revealing, “Together with the light – the pain arrived. My heart broke when Edan began to talk about the unimaginable difficulty of whether he would survive the night. About the hunger, the lack of water, and the difficult sanitary conditions. But the most terrifying sound that Edan feared were the sounds of the war raging overhead. Ear-splitting explosions, the whistling of rockets, sounds of collapse, and shaking ground. Every moment could have been the last moment. While the world heard ‘the bombing’ – Edan heard hope drifting away.”
She added, with deep emotion: “My Edan, my hero, you survived the hell – and returned from it. But what about the hostages who are still hearing those horrifying sounds? What about the terror they live in every moment? The hell you went through – is the hell they are still in. My heart started to beat again – but until everyone returns, it won’t find peace.”
{Matzav.com Israel}