The father of a U.S.-Israeli hostage held in Gaza said on Saturday he remains hopeful his 21-year-old son is still alive after Hamas said it could not account for his whereabouts or status. Adi Alexander, whose son Edan was serving in the IDF during the October 7 massacre and was taken hostage, called on the United States to engage in direct talks to free the remaining hostages.
"I think we should engage back with them directly and see what can be done in regards to my son, four American dead hostages and everybody else," the father said in an interview on Saturday. "It seems like the negotiations are stalled, everything is stuck and we are kind of back to a year ago," he added. "It's really concerning."
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Protesters demand of the government to make a deal to bring all of the hostages held in Gaza back
(Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP)
Hamas had previously agreed to release Edan Alexander, believed to be the last surviving American hostage, as well as the bodies of four other Americans captured by the terrorists during the massacre.
The armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday it did not know the fate of Alexander, after noting that the guard holding him was killed. Reuters could not verify Hamas' claim.
Hamas abducted Edan Alexander when he was 19 during its attack that killed nearly 1,200 people and triggered Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas.
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Edan, who holds dual nationality, grew up in New Jersey. His father said his son was an "all-American kid, great athlete ..., such a loving, loving boy" who found himself in "the wrong place, wrong time."
Hamas recently released an undated video, purportedly of Edan. His father Adi said, "He looked very scary to us - just a horrible, horrible video."
Hamas posts a video with Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander
A hostage video is, by definition, made under duress and the statements in it are usually coerced, according to international law groups and human rights experts.
Adi Alexander said that if he could speak to his son now he would tell him: "Just believe. You know, nobody forgot about you. Definitely not your parents, and everybody is fighting for your release on the highest level in the States and I believe also in Israel."
Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza. Fewer than half of them are believed to be still alive.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson had no comment on the status of Alexander but reiterated that Hamas must immediately release him and all remaining hostages, and that Hamas "bears sole responsibility for the war, and for the resumption of hostilities."