Edan Alexander, 21, who was believed to be the last living American citizen held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, was released on Monday.
The militant group handed over Mr. Alexander as part of a deal negotiated directly with the United States, with minimal Israeli involvement. President Trump had focused on his release since a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March.
On Monday, Mr. Trump said Mr. Alexander was being released and congratulated “his wonderful parents, family, and friends!” The release comes as Mr. Trump is set to travel to the Middle East.
Who is Edan Alexander?
Mr. Alexander is an American Israeli dual citizen who grew up in Tenafly, N.J.
In 2022, during his senior year of high school, he joined Garin Tzabar, which prepares young people from around the world to join the Israel Defense Forces. He moved to Israel to serve in the military after he graduated and was assigned to the infantry.
Mr. Alexander was stationed near the border with Gaza in September 2023.
How was he taken hostage?
Mr. Alexander was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. He was taken from a tiny military outpost near the border with Gaza.
Last year, Hamas released a video of him.
An American Israeli friend of Mr. Alexander, Omer Neutra, who was serving in the same post, was also taken by Hamas.
In December, the White House announced that Mr. Neutra was killed on Oct. 7 and that Hamas had been holding his remains since the attack. He was 21.
How has Mr. Alexander’s family responded?
His parents, Adi and Yael Alexander, were born in Israel, and they have two other children. They have advocated relentlessly for Mr. Alexander’s freedom, meeting with officials and speaking at rallies.
“We live in agony each day that passes without our son,” his parents wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times in September after the discovery of the body of another hostage, the Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
On Sunday, the Alexanders traveled to Israel with Trump administration officials. In a statement, the family called his coming return “the greatest gift imaginable” and urged Israel’s government to negotiate the release of the remaining captives, saying, “No hostage should be left behind.”
What is his condition?
The military said in a statement after the handover that he was on his way to Israel and would undergo an initial medical assessment and meet with his family.
In images and video shared by the Israeli authorities on Monday, Mr. Alexander looked pale but appeared to be walking normally and was smiling. He enthusiastically reunited with relatives.
