More than 525 days since Hamas launched its brutal attacks on Israel, the last remaining American hostage in Palestinian custody is set to be released, along with the bodies of four others. The live detainee, 21-year-old Edan Alexander, is a New Jersey native with dual citizenship. He was performing his compulsory service in the Israeli military when the war broke out and was brought back to the Gaza Strip alongside 250 others.
The news comes as the Trump administration focuses new, gentle attention on the return of American bodies who have been killed in hostage or manufactured prisoner situations. While this has not previously been of high priority, particularly under the Biden administration, the President marked a new attitude in the treatment of such imprisoned people- whether or not they have already been killed.
While Israeli culture has always held a deep sentiment regarding the return of hostages- dead or alive- its emphasis in the American handbook is more recent, as highlighted by President Trump during his first full Cabinet meeting in February. He remarked, “I’ve spoken to a lot of the parents and a lot of the people involved, and they want those bodies almost as much, and maybe even just as much, as they wanted their son or their daughter.”
Now, he looks to secure the return of both Edan Alexander as well as the four American hostages who have been killed during the ordeal: Itay Chen, Gad Haggai, Judy Weinstein Haggai, and Omar Neutra. Perhaps most disturbingly of all, none of the three were taken as living hostages but rather killed during the attacks on October 7th. Knowing of Israeli’s intense desire to properly bury their dead, Hamas took their lifeless bodies as negotiating tools, utterly devoid of respect or humanity. As sacred as life is held by Israel, almost the inverse seems to be true in Gaza. In August of 2024, six hostages were shot at close range by Hamas troops in a tunnel when they feared advancing Israeli forces rather than risk their being discovered or potentially rescued.
Of the 250 hostages brutally ripped from their peaceful daily lives on October 7th, 2023, over 50 remain in Gaza, of whom Israeli intelligence believes 35 are already deceased. Neither the United States nor Israel will rest until each body is returned and every anxiously waiting family has answers regarding their loved ones. While the last remaining Americans in Gaza are released, newly appointed FBI director Kash Patel makes a commitment to “zero out” the hostage and unlawfully imprisoned American population in foreign nations and bring all innocent citizens back to their rightful home. During remarks made on the US Hostage and Detainee Day, he pledged not only to bring back those held by Hamas but also Russia and Venezuela. President Trump had already secured the release of an American prisoner of Russia, Marc Fogel, earlier in his second term.
How should the remainder of the hostage situation in Gaza be handled? What could President Biden have done differently to expedite their return?
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.