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Hamas on Saturday night, the eve of Passover, released a video showing a sign of life from 20-year-old Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, who has been held captive in Gaza for 554 days.
The family of the captive soldier has authorized the release of an image from the terror group’s psychological warfare video.
“As we gather for the holiday evening in the U.S., our family in Israel is preparing to sit around the Passover table,” the family said in a statement. “Edan, a lone soldier who made Aliyah and enlisted in the Golani Brigade to defend the country and its citizens, remains in Hamas captivity. As you mark the festival of freedom, remember that there is no true freedom while Edan and 58 other hostages are still not home.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Alexander's parents, Yael and Adi, following the release of the clip and expressed solidarity, his office said in a statement.
The prime minister told the family that “a tremendous effort is underway at this very moment to bring Idan and all our hostages home,” according to the statement.
Alexander, who holds dual citizenship, grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, and made Aliyah at 18 to volunteer for the Golani Brigade. He was staying with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and with his military cohort at Kibbutz Hatzor.
On October 7, he chose to remain on base despite being eligible for leave, as his mother was visiting from the U.S.—a decision that would later lead to his abduction. That morning, during the attack, he managed to call her and say that a piece of shrapnel hit his helmet, but he was otherwise unharmed.
This is not the first video Hamas has released of Alexander. On day 421 of his captivity, the terror group published footage of him saying, presumably under duress: “It’s time to put an end to this nightmare. Every day feels like an eternity here, and the pain inside grows day by day.” In the video, he appears to lower his head, strike his knees and says: “Our fear is at its peak. We die a thousand times every day and no one feels us.”
There are currently 59 hostages still held in Gaza, 24 of whom are confirmed to be alive. Since fighting resumed, Hamas has released weekly videos showing signs of life from hostages, in what is widely seen as an effort to pressure the Israeli government to agree to a deal.
Last week, the group released video messages from Bar Kupershtein and Maxim Herkin. The week prior, they showed Elkana Bochbot, and five days before that, footage of Bohbot together with Yosef-Chaim Ohana.
Meanwhile, the Israeli negotiating team is working with mediators, mainly Egypt and in coordination with the U.S., to try to break the deadlock in talks. An Israeli official said Friday that “the ball is in Hamas’ court.” While Hamas has already rejected Israel’s proposal to release 11 living hostages, it has yet to respond to a newer Egyptian proposal involving the release of eight.
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Israeli negotiators are currently trying to maximize the number of live hostages included at the start of any potential agreement, even as the government continues to oppose a comprehensive deal that would end the war in exchange for the release of all hostages.
At the same time, the head of the Israeli negotiating team, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, has come under public criticism for a lack of results. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for him in a statement from his office, which dismissed reports of a significant slowdown in talks since Dermer’s appointment. The statement said: “Minister Dermer is working around the clock and leading the issue in all its aspects. The orchestrated campaign against him is unworthy, does not reflect reality, serves Hamas propaganda, and hurts the families of the hostages.”