‘I Was Sure I’d Hug Him Again’: Joy as IDF Hostage Edan Alexander Freed

By Mikheil Khachidze | Tel Aviv

For months, Doron Zexer, Israeli host father to American hostage Edan Alexander, came to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where relatives of kidnapped Israelis gather every evening to light candles, sing, and share messages of hope. His stepson, Edan Alexander, was among those abducted by Hamas on October 7 and taken into Gaza.

On Monday, May 12, 2025  after 232 days in captivity, Edan was finally released.

Via Internet

Alexander, a 19-year-old IDF soldier with dual Israeli-American citizenship, was serving near the Gaza border on the day of the attacks. He was one of around 250 people kidnapped during Hamas’s brutal assault, which left some 1,200 dead, most of them civilians.

His last known images were featured in a Hamas propaganda video in which he appeared dazed, being forced into Gaza. Since then, the family had no proof of life and lived in unbearable uncertainty.

Photo by Laliko Natsvlishvili

“We were used to sirens, but that day felt different—worse,” Zexer recalled. “When I learned Edan had been taken, it was like my heart was taken with him.”

At Hostage Square, where families gather nightly, Zexer became a familiar figure. For him, lighting candles was more than symbolic—it was an act of resistance. “We are not just here for our own child,” he said. “We are here for all those suffering this injustice. These candles were the only way we had to keep their light alive.”

Photo by Laliko Natsvlishvili

Zexer himself is no stranger to adversity. In 2019, he survived a 15-meter fall from a cliff. Doctors didn’t expect him to make it, but he pulled through with long-term injuries. “I didn’t give up then, and I wasn’t going to give up on Edan,” he said.

Now, the moment he waited for has arrived. Edan is back.

Photo by Laliko Natsvlishvili

Hamas released Alexander as part of a humanitarian gesture widely interpreted as linked to ongoing negotiations involving the US and Egypt. A senior Hamas figure told the Arabic-language newspaper Ash-Sharq al-Awsat that the group had been advised to release a hostage as a goodwill gesture toward Washington.

Fifty-six hostages remain in Gaza. At least 21 are believed to still be alive. Their families continue to hope that what happened for Doron and Edan will one day happen for them too.

“I always said I was sure I’d hug him again,” Zexer said. “Now, that hug is real.”

Author’s Note:

As a journalist who has spoken to many hostage families over the past months, I have witnessed the emotional toll of not knowing. Hostage Square in Tel Aviv is a place of pain, but also of strength, resilience, and quiet hope. The release of Edan Alexander is a moment of relief—for one family, at least—but also a powerful reminder that this story is not over. Dozens of families are still waiting. Their loved ones are still in Gaza. And their voices still need to be heard.