Edan Alexander, who was released from Hamas captivity on Monday, spent part of his time in captivity bound and with a bag over his head. He described the first days after his abduction as "hell" and said that the bombings— as his mother, Yael, shared Tuesday evening— terrified him to death. In one instance, one of the tunnels where he was held collapsed, but he managed to escape unharmed.
Edan Alexander met his family for the first time at Ichilov Hospital - Sourasky Medical Center on Monday evening. During his captivity, he was held by senior Hamas officials, considered a valuable asset due to his American citizenship, and was frequently updated on the developments of the war. He also watched numerous interviews with his family on television. During periods of fighting in the Gaza Strip, his meals consisted of rice, pita bread and beans. However, during ceasefires his diet improved and included lamb and beef.
The captors subjected him to abuse and severe torture during the initial days. He returned covered in flea bites all over his body and with visible injuries. As he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he feels weak and will need time to recover. On Tuesday, he went up to the hospital roof with his family to get some sunlight.
Edan shared his deep concern for those still left behind in the Gaza Strip—58 hostages, including 20 classified as "definitely alive" and three others, including soldier Tamir Nimrodi and two foreigners, whose fates remain uncertain.
Yael Alexander, Edan’s mother, spoke Tuesday evening at the hospital about the hardships her son endured, including hunger, a lack of water, and appalling sanitary conditions. "Every day that passed felt like an eternity. Every minute was a struggle between hope and despair. The most horrifying sounds were those of war unfolding above their heads," she recounted. "Deafening explosions, the whistling of missiles, and the sounds of collapse, destruction, and the ground shaking. Every moment could have been the last."
She expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump, his envoys Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler, as well as other administration officials for their efforts. She also delivered a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the backdrop of renewed negotiations in Doha. "In Israel, the heart of the people is strong, clear, and unified. An overwhelming majority of the public, from all sectors of society, believes that bringing the hostages home is a supreme moral, Jewish, and national duty," she said. "This is not an issue of right or left, religion or nationality, but of basic human compassion."
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Yael called on the Israeli government and Netanyahu to heed this collective voice: "The people are united and demand that the return of all the hostages be prioritized above all else. Edan’s return must only be the beginning. All the hostages must come home as soon as possible—those alive for rehabilitation and the fallen for proper burial. We have no right to stop until this happens. Time is running out. The world is watching. And history will remember."
Upon his release, Edan received a gift from Steve Witkoff, who visited him at the hospital. Witkoff gave him a Star of David necklace that had belonged to his late son, Andrew, who died at the age of 22—the same age as Edan. Witkoff revealed that he had worn the necklace around his neck for more than 25 years and now wanted Edan to wear it.
Later that evening, the White House released footage of the phone call between Trump from Riyadh and Edan. This followed similar footage released earlier, where Edan met with Witkoff.