Not like many households who blame Israel’s authorities for not getting their family members launched from captivity in Gaza, Adi Alexander is hesitant to level fingers. Pragmatic and measured, the daddy of the final residing American being held hostage by Hamas simply needs his son to return dwelling.
“I don’t want to get into who came first, the egg or the chicken,” Alexander advised The Related Press on Friday from his New Jersey dwelling. Nonetheless, with the once-promising ceasefire giving method to renewed preventing between Israel and Hamas, he wonders whether or not Israel can safe his son’s freedom and is extra hopeful concerning the U.S.’s probabilities to do it.
Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier who grew up within the U.S., is considered one of 59 hostages nonetheless in Gaza, greater than half of whom are believed to be lifeless. Final week, Hamas mentioned it could launch Edan and the our bodies of 4 different hostages if Israel recommitted to the stalled ceasefire settlement.
Days later, although, Israel launched rockets throughout Gaza, breaking the two-month-old deal and killing tons of of Palestinians. The hostilities present no indicators of abating, with Israel vowing Friday to advance deeper into Gaza till Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
The return to preventing has infected the talk in Israel over the destiny of these held captive. Netanyahu has come beneath mounting home stress, with mass protests over his dealing with of the hostage disaster. However he additionally faces calls for from his hard-line allies to not settle for any deal that falls wanting Hamas’ destruction.
AP
AP
FILE – From left, Yael and Adi Alexander, mother and father of Eden Alexander, who was kidnapped and delivered to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, hearken to Liz Hirsh Naftali, nice aunt of Abigail Extra Edan, as households and victims of the Hamas assaults meet with the Home Overseas Affairs Committee, on the Capitol in Washington, Nov. 29. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
A father’s hope
Adi Alexander mentioned he thinks Netanyahu needs to deliver all people dwelling, however on his personal phrases. He questions Netanyahu’s plans whereas he believes U.S. President Donald Trump’s message is evident: He is centered on bringing the hostages dwelling. Alexander mentioned he is relying on the U.S. to bridge the big hole between Israel and Hamas. His message to Trump about his administration’s efforts to free his son and the others: “Simply preserve this job going.”
Many households of the hostages say Trump has completed extra for them than Netanyahu, crediting the president with the ceasefire. In December, earlier than taking workplace, Trump demanded the hostages’ quick launch, saying in the event that they weren’t freed earlier than he was sworn in for his second time period there could be “hell to pay.”
Part one of many deal started weeks later, and noticed the discharge of 25 Israeli hostages and the our bodies of eight others in trade for practically 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The ceasefire was supposed to stay in place so long as talks on the second section continued, however Netanyahu balked at getting into substantive negotiations.
As a substitute, he tried to pressure Hamas to just accept a brand new ceasefire plan put forth by U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. That plan would have required Hamas to launch half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s fundamental bargaining chip — in trade for a ceasefire extension and a promise to barter an enduring truce.
Hamas has mentioned it’ll solely launch the remaining hostages in trade for an enduring ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as known as for within the unique ceasefire settlement mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.
Latest Tenafly Excessive Faculty graduate, Edan Alexander, was serving within the Israeli navy, when Hamas attacked Israel. Now, he’s lacking amongst many different Individuals. Adam Harding stories.
The US engages immediately with Hamas
As a soldier, Edan would have been launched through the deal’s second section. However Hamas introduced this month that it could launch Edan after the White Home mentioned it had engaged in “ongoing talks and discussions” with the group — separate from the principle negotiations. It’s the first identified direct engagement between Hamas and the U.S. for the reason that State Division designated it a international terrorist group in 1997.
Adi Alexander mentioned Adam Boehler, who’s serving to spearhead the Trump administration’s efforts to free the hostages, led these separate talks as a result of section two was stalled. However he mentioned he didn’t imagine Hamas’ declare that it could launch his son as a result of it got here out of left subject and wasn’t being thought-about as a part of the discussions between the group and Boehler.
The anxious father mentioned he speaks with Witkoff and Boehler nearly day by day and understands the negotiations are ongoing regardless of the resumption of preventing.
A local of Tenafly, a New Jersey suburb of New York Metropolis, Edan moved to Israel in 2022 after highschool and enlisted within the navy. He was kidnapped from his base through the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that ignited the struggle, when Hamas killed about 1,200 folks in Israel and took 251 others hostage.
The grueling wait
Hamas launched a video of him over Thanksgiving weekend in November. His household mentioned it was troublesome to observe as he cried and pleaded for assist, however it was a reduction to see he was alive.
Though he is aware of the resumption of preventing means it’ll take extra time to get his son again, Adi Alexander mentioned he thinks each side had turned too comfy with the ceasefire and that this was one motive section two by no means started. He needs the struggle to finish, and hopes the preventing will likely be restricted and focused and push everybody again to the desk.
“Somebody, I think had to shake this tree to create chaos, and chaos creates opportunities,” he said. “The only objective is to get back to the bargaining table to get those people out.”
