Released Israeli-American Hostage Comes Home Hours before Trump’s Middle East Tour

After being held hostage for about 19 months, Israeli-American Edan Alexander, 21, was the last living American hostage to be released on Monday. The International Committee of the Red Cross organized his transfer from the Palestinian militant group Hamas and helped reunite him with his family, according to Reuters.

Alexander was taken to an Israeli military facility, where his family joined him. The family hugged and kissed each other, and then they all boarded an Israeli military helicopter that took them to a hospital where Alexander could receive treatment. He was pale and somewhat emaciated, but seeing his family put him in good spirits. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement picked up by CBN that, "The expected release of IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier Edan Alexander without anything in return will be possible due to the vigorous policy that we have led with the backing of President Trump, and thanks to the military pressure of IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip."

In a video statement picked up by AP News, Netanyahu also described Alexander's release as "an emotional moment " and said, "We hug him and we hug his family."

He went on to note that when he spoke with President Trump on Monday, that Trump assured him that, "I am committed to Israel. I am committed to continuing to work with you in close cooperation to achieve all of our war goals, to release all the hostages, and to defeat Hamas. It goes together. The things are intertwined." 

President Donald Trump saw the action of Alexander's release as a goodwill gesture, which he's hoping will bring an end to the war and lead to the release of all the other hostages.

Trump started his Middle East tour on Tuesday with a visit to Saudi Arabia. Besides finalizing economic agreements and stating concerns about Iran's nuclear program as the Gaza war continues to progress, Trump also hopes to repair and normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. One of the highlights of Trump's first term was the Abraham Accords effort, which normalized relations with Israel, Sudan, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, according to AP News. In the past, the agreement has required Israel to freeze its plans to annex the West Bank, according to Camera.org.

WATCH: Netanyahu Thanks Trump for Hostage Release

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Anadolu/Contributor

Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities. 

Originally published May 13, 2025.