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The harrowing footage, shared on Saturday, Nov. 30, shows the 20-year-old Israeli-American, who hails from Tenafly, crying and pleading for his life in a message directed to Israeli and American leaders.
Speaking in both Hebrew and English, Alexander states he has been held hostage for more than 420 days. “It’s time to put an end to this nightmare,” he says in an emotional appeal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Click here to watch (WARNING: viewer discretion is advised).
The video also features Alexander addressing former U.S. President Donald Trump. “As an American, I’ve always believed in the power of the United States,” he says. “Please use your influence and the full power of the US to negotiate for our freedom. Every day here feels like an eternity… please do not make the mistake Biden has been doing. I don’t want to end up dead like my fellow US citizen Hersh [Goldberg-Polin].”
Alexander graduated from Tenafly High School in 2022 and went on to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He'd been serving near the Gaza border during the attack.
The Times of Israel quotes Alexander's mother, Yael Alexander, speaking in response to the video. She said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised her over the phone that “the conditions are ripe” for bringing all the hostages home.
“This is not a Hollywood movie,” she said. “This is the bad movie we have been living for 421 days since October 7.”
The U.S. government has not yet issued a response to the video, however, Netanyahu's office did:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, spoke with the family of Edan Alexander, who is being held hostage in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization.This is in the wake of the cruel psychological warfare publication of a video in which a sign of life was received from Edan.Prime Minister Netanyahu said, in the conversation, that he feels the suffering that Edan – and the hostages and their families – are enduring, and promised that Israel is determined to take every action to bring them back home, together with all of the hostages held by the enemy.
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