After 16 months of warfare between Israel and Hamas, 5 People are nonetheless being held hostage in Gaza, however solely one among them is alive. Israeli American Edan Alexander, who hails from Tenafly, New Jersey, is the final residing American hostage in Gaza.
Although he spent most of his life in New Jersey, Alexander was born in Israel a couple of months earlier than his dad and mom moved to the U.S., in keeping with the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
In some ways, Alexander grew up like many American children. He went to Tenafly Excessive Faculty, was a swimmer and liked the New York Knicks. All that separated him from most American youngsters was his frequent journeys to Israel to go to household and the truth that he spoke Hebrew at house.
After graduating from highschool, Alexander determined he would enlist within the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) slightly than enroll in faculty.
IRAN TESTS TRUMP AS REGIME GENERAL SAYS IT WILL WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP
Edan Alexander, born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. (Hostage Household Discussion board)
On Oct. 7, Alexander, who was serving within the IDF’s Golani Brigade, an infantry unit, was patrolling close to Gaza when Hamas’ assaults on Israel started. The assaults ended with 1,200 Israelis useless and 251 hostages taken, together with Alexander.
Yael Alexander, Edan’s mom, recounted the day he was taken hostage in a latest interview with AJC’s “People of the Pod.” Yael was in Israel in early October 2023, visiting her household and hoping to see Edan. On the morning of Oct. 7, she spoke with Edan, who stated that he was seeing “terrible stuff,” however he assured her that he was protected. Then he was taken hostage.
Yael says she spent days on the cellphone and visiting hospitals, attempting to determine what occurred to her son after their temporary Oct. 7 cellphone name. Then the IDF knowledgeable her her son had been taken hostage.
On Nov. 30, 2024, greater than a yr after Alexander was captured, Hamas launched a video of him talking in Hebrew and Arabic. Alexander, like different hostages pressured to make propaganda movies, delivered messages about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump.
A number of days after the video’s launch, Adi Alexander, Edan’s father, spoke with “Fox & Friends First,” calling the movie “very emotional” and “disturbing.” He stated it was the primary time they’d seen an indication of life from their son since he was taken hostage.
Yael, Adi and Mika Alexander, the household of Edan Alexander, the American Israeli and Israel Protection Forces soldier taken hostage in the course of the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel by Hamas, pose for {a photograph} throughout an interview with Reuters on the Alexanders’ house in Tenafly, N.J., Dec. 14, 2024. (Reuters/Stephani Spindel)
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO DISTURBING EDAN ALEXANDER HOSTAGE VIDEO, DENOUNCES HAMAS
Lawmakers in Israel and america have been combating for his launch over the past 16 months, however Alexander was not included within the checklist of individuals to be freed within the first part of the ceasefire deal.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., met with Alexander’s dad and mom, who’re his constituents, only a few weeks after the Tenafly Excessive Faculty graduate was taken hostage.
“No family should ever have to experience this unfathomable pain, and I will do everything I can to reunite Edan with his family safely,” Gottheimer stated in a assertion concerning the assembly.
A lady holds a picture of hostage Edan Alexander in the course of the World Day of Unity and Prayer with Israel’s Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, which represents the kin of these taken captive by Palestinian Hamas militants in the course of the Oct. 7 assault. (Yuri Cortez/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
On Alexander’s three hundredth day in captivity, Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., stated, “We must see Edan reunited with his family and community as soon as possible.”
Along with Alexander, Hamas is holding the our bodies of 4 useless American hostages. Hamas launched six extra hostages Saturday in change for greater than 600 Palestinian prisoners as a part of its ongoing ceasefire take care of Israel. That is nonetheless the primary part of the ceasefire, and the second part is predicted to be negotiated quickly.
