Freed US-Israeli hostage was 'severely tortured by Hamas', says Israeli foreign ministry
The armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023 on Monday, May 12 ahead of a regional visit by US President Donald Trump.
"The (Ezzedine) Al-Qassam Brigades have just released the Zionist soldier and American citizen Edan Alexander, following contacts with the US administration, as part of the efforts undertaken by mediators to achieve a ceasefire," Hamas said in a statement.
Israel's military said he was back inside Israel to be "reunited with his family". Flag-waving crowds gathered to greet the convoy carrying Alexander, and in Tenafly, New Jersey, where he grew up, large crowds celebrated his release.
Close friends and family chanted his name and applauded at the news that Alexander had been freed, footage released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum showed. The Israeli army later said he was being taken by helicopter to a hospital where he would "receive medical treatment" and "be reunited with other members of his family".
