Hamas Releases Video of American-Israeli Hostage Edan Alexander from Gaza

Hamas released a video of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since the attack on October 7, 2023. The video, which cannot be verified for date, shows Edan speaking to U.S. President Donald Trump in English and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hebrew. He urges Israeli citizens to pressure their government to free the hostages taken on October 7.

The Forum for Hostage Families described the video as shocking. They stated it proves that hostages are alive and suffering. They emphasized that the return of hostages is only possible through an agreement.

During the October 7 attack, Hamas captured 251 hostages. Some have died, while 97 remain in captivity, including 34 confirmed dead but whose bodies stay in Gaza. In a brief ceasefire in November, 80 Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained in Israel. An additional 25 hostages, mostly Thai agricultural workers, were also freed.

The video was shared by Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades. This release follows a video of another Israeli hostage, Sasha Trupanov, published earlier this month by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Hamas ally.

The October 7 assault resulted in 1,207 deaths, mostly civilians, according to AFP. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has claimed 44,382 lives in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.