After spending more than a year and a half in Hamas captivity, Golani Brigade soldier Edan Alexander was freed from Gaza on Monday. His close friend, Sgt. G., is still struggling to process the news.
The two made aliyah to Israel together through a program for lone soldiers, lived together, enlisted together and remained inseparable — until the moment everything changed on October 7. Now, for the first time since that day, G. says he can finally breathe.
Edan Alexander meeting his family after his release
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
“I didn’t know how to feel when they told me Edan was going to be released,” G. told Ynet. “It wasn’t the first time Hamas had said he would be freed, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up and be crushed again. But when I woke up this morning, it hit me — this time it’s real.”
G. and Alexander were part of a group of 15 lone soldiers who made aliyah to serve in the IDF. “We lived together for a year and a half until October 7. We enlisted together. Right now I’m with the rest of our group — we’ve been glued to the TV all day. It’s surreal,” G. said.
Alexander, who served in the Golani Brigade, was deeply proud of his role. “He wanted to serve this country more than anyone,” said G. “There was nothing he was prouder of than being a Golani soldier. Even when he came home on weekends exhausted, he always stayed positive. He was happy with the path he chose.”
Beyond being a soldier, Edan was the heart of the group. “It might sound like a cliché, but he was always at the center of things. He had a huge speaker he carried on his shoulder, blasting music into every room. He made us laugh constantly. Always smiling, always joking.”
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That spirit, G. said, never faded — even in captivity. “We heard he told his mom jokes when he got back and that didn’t surprise us. We saw the videos Hamas released of him. We knew they were feeding him lines but we recognized him — his eyes, his hand gestures. It was really him.”
For months, nothing was known of Alexander’s fate. “There was almost a whole year where we didn’t know if he was alive,” G. recalled. “I never let myself believe he wasn’t. When things got hard, I thought about him. Through everything I did, I thought of him and his mom, Yael. He was always with me — every day, every minute. I kept wondering: Where is he now? What is he doing?”
Even during combat in Gaza, G. said his friend was always on his mind. “I fought in Gaza while he was held hostage. Every time I went in, I told myself I was going to bring him back. And every time I came out without him — it hurt. But that pain pushed me forward. Sometimes, in the middle of a night shift, I’d wonder if he was right below me or maybe in another city.”
G. took part in Operation Arnon (in which four hostages were rescued) saying every mission carried the weight of what they were fighting for. “Each operation felt like it was bringing him closer to home. Every time someone else was released, we were happy — but our hearts ached because Edan was still there.”
“Tonight, I’m excited to go to sleep knowing Edan is with his family, hugging his mom and dad. Life can finally move forward. My friend is back," he added.
They haven’t reunited yet, but G. is already imagining it. “The first thing I want to do is hug him. I have so much to tell him, to catch him up on everything he missed. I want to tell him I love him. I want us to go back to the way things were — listening to music, laughing, talking. I just want to hear his laugh again.”
Throughout the ordeal, G. stayed in close contact with Alexander’s family, including his adoptive father from the kibbutz. “His family is amazing,” he said. “Edan adapted so well to life in Israel — he’s half-Israeli, half-American. This past year and a half was incredibly hard but it only made us stronger. We did everything we could to bring him home.”