"My Family Is Whole Again": Edan Alexander’s Mother Speaks Out After His Release from Hamas Captivity

Yael Alexander, the mother of Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American soldier released Monday after spending 584 days in Hamas captivity, broke her silence today in an emotional and powerful public statement. Her words come just one day after reuniting with her son, who had been held in Gaza tunnels under harrowing conditions since his abduction on October 7, 2023.

Yael began her statement with heartfelt relief, saying: "My breath returned when I felt him in my arms. My family is whole again."

"Yesterday, Edan was released from Hamas captivity after being abducted and held in the tunnels of Gaza for 584 days. Each day that passed felt like an eternity, each minute a struggle between hope and despair."

"The moment I hugged my Edani for the first time after 584 days, was the moment time stood still. My pulse began to beat with his. My breath returned when I felt him in my arms. My family is whole again."

"But with the light of reunion, came the pain. Our hearts were torn as Edan began to describe the unimaginable hardship, the daily fear, of whether he would survive the night. The hunger, the lack of water, the horrific sanitary conditions."

"But the most terrifying sound that Edan feared were the sounds of the war raging above their heads. Deafening explosions, the whistles of missiles, the sounds of collapse, of buildings falling, and the earth shaking. Every moment could have been the last. While the world heard 'bombing,' Edan heard hope drifting away."

"My Edani, my hero, you survived hell, and came back from it. But what about the hostages who are still hearing those same horrifying sounds? What about the terror they are living in every moment? The hell you went through, is the hell they are still in. My heart has started to beat again, but until everyone returns, it will not find peace."

"I want to thank President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, Adam Boehler, and all members of the American administration who worked day and night to bring my son home, and continue their efforts until all 58 hostages return home."

"I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the IDF soldiers and their commanders, for their boundless courage and dedication. My heart is with you. You are the quiet heroes of us all. I want to thank the Shin Bet, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum Command, and the intelligence officers for the guidance, dedication, and support every step of the way."

"A heartfelt thank you to the staff at Ichilov Hospital; the doctors, nurses, and everyone for the dedicated care, the humanity, and the sensitive support at every moment. With you, we found professionalism blended with enormous hearts."

"I want to thank our wonderful people in Israel and beyond, for the open hearts, the outstretched hands, and the endless support. You have all fulfilled the greatest commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"

"In Israel, the heart of the people is strong, sharp, and clear: an overwhelming majority of the public, from all corners of society, believes that returning the hostages is a supreme duty, moral, Jewish, and national. This is not an issue of right or left. Not of religion or nationality. It is a matter of the human heart. I call on the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, to listen to this voice. The people are united. The people demand that the return of the hostages. All of them. Be the highest priority."

"This is the time to choose unity. This is the time to choose action. This is the time to act together, out of love for one another, out of belief in justice, and from a deep commitment to the values we were raised on. I say this in the clearest terms: Edani’s return must only be the beginning. All the hostages must return home as soon as possible, the living for rehabilitation, and the fallen for proper burial. We have no right to stop until that happens. Time is running out. The world is watching. And history will remember."