Hamas says it released Israeli-American hostage in goodwill gesture toward Trump administration

Israeli-American soldier released by Hamas after 19 months in Gaza, potentially paving the way for a new ceasefire.

An Israeli-American soldier held hostage for more than 19 months in the Gaza Strip was released Monday (May 12, 2025), Hamas said, in a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration that could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel.

The Israeli military confirmed that Edan Alexander had been turned over to the Red Cross and was being brought to Israeli forces. Israeli authorities did not provide details.

Wearing shirts emblazoned with his name, Alexander's extended family gathered in Tel Aviv to watch the release. They cheered and chanted his name when the military said he was free. His grandmother, Varda Ben Baruch, beamed. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, hundreds of people broke out into cheers.

Alexander was 19 when he was taken from his military base in southern Israel during Hamas' cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza. His release was the first since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March, unleashing fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds.

Israel has promised to intensify its offensive, including by seizing the territory and displacing much of its population again. Days before the ceasefire ended, Israel blocked all imports from entering the Palestinian enclave, deepening a humanitarian crisis and sparking warnings about the risk of famine if the blockade isn't lifted. Israel says the steps are meant to pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire agreement on Israel's terms.

Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with about 23 of them said to be alive. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the 2023 attack were freed in ceasefire deals.

Television footage showed Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, arriving at the Reim military base in southern Israel, where her son was expected to be taken first.