Hamas’s military wing released an undated propaganda video showing Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander, the first such recording it had published in months. Alexander, 20, grew up in New Jersey and was serving in the Israeli military when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The video was posted to Telegram and said Alexander had been held for more than 420 days. If that claim accurately reflected the length of his captivity when the recording was made, it would place the filming during the week before release. The supplied evidence did not establish the video’s precise date or the conditions under which Alexander spoke.
Speaking in Hebrew and English, Alexander addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President-elect Donald Trump. He accused the Israeli government of neglecting the hostages and asked Trump to use American influence to secure their freedom. Because the material was produced and released by his captors, his statements cannot be treated as freely given.
Alexander’s mother, Yael Alexander, responded through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. She said her son’s appearance represented other living captives who were unable to speak publicly. The forum described the recording as evidence that hostages remained alive and argued that their return required a negotiated agreement. It said 101 hostages were still being held after more than 420 days.
Netanyahu’s office said he spoke with Alexander’s family following the video’s release. According to the office, the prime minister told them that Israel understood the suffering of the hostages and their relatives and was working to bring all captives home. The statement characterized the video as psychological warfare by Hamas.
The White House also contacted the family. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett called the recording a reminder of Hamas’s treatment of citizens from multiple countries and said an agreement to release hostages, halt the war and increase humanitarian aid was available. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan separately said Hamas could be reassessing the possibility of a deal following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October. His comments were an assessment, not confirmation that Hamas had accepted terms.
Alexander was among approximately 250 people abducted during the October 7 assault, according to the supplied report. Around 1,200 people were killed in that attack. Israel’s subsequent war against Hamas had killed more than 43,000 Palestinians by the time of the video’s release, according to local health officials cited in the evidence.
The release did not itself demonstrate progress in negotiations or establish Alexander’s condition beyond what could be seen in an edited recording controlled by Hamas. It nevertheless provided his family with the first public visual indication in months that he had survived captivity, while intensifying pressure on Israeli and US officials over efforts to reach an agreement for the remaining hostages.
