Hamas: Fate of US captive Edan Alexander unknown as guard found dead

CAIRO – 19 April 2025: Hamas has warned that the fate of US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander remains unknown following the recovery of the body of a Palestinian man assigned to guard him.

Soldier Alexander is believed to be the last living US captive held by Hamas besides four bodies of other US captives killed amid Israeli bombardment in Gaza since October 2023.

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has described the release of the 21-year-old New Jersey citizen as a “top priority.”

Last week, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that they had lost contact with the captors of Alexander after an Israeli airstrike targeted their location.

Abu Obaida, spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israeli forces of deliberately attempting to alleviate pressure surrounding the issue of dual-nationality captives in order to freely continue their war against the people of Gaza.

A few days prior, Hamas released a video of Alexander speaking directly to the camera, saying that he believes he will “come home dead.”

Edan Alexander, the last living US captive held by Hamas in Gaza, conveyed a message of distress and frustration from captivity, stating that everyone has “lied” to him#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps://t.co/sN8Xslhyfv

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) April 13, 2025

“Every day, I think the bombing is getting closer to us, and this is really difficult. We are losing hope,” Alexander said in the video, visibly angry and struggling to hold back tears.

“This video is of me, and this is my face. Try to remember it!”

He blamed the Israeli government for rejecting a previous offer from Hamas to release him last month.

In the video, Alexander addressed US President Donald Trump, accusing him of believing “Netanyahu’s lies.”

Hamas continues to hold 59 captives, with at least 22 believed to be alive, and has expressed readiness to release all remaining captives in exchange for an end to the Israeli war.

However, Israeli forces resumed bombardment on Gaza on March 18, shattering a two-month ceasefire that had resulted in the release of 38 captives from Gaza, 30 of whom were alive.

The war in Gaza has so far killed over 51,100 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, including more than 1,700 fatalities since the resumption of bombardment, according to the health ministry in the enclave.

The White House stated that Israel consulted with Trump’s administration before the renewed strikes and that he “fully supports” the Israeli army’s actions in Gaza.

Hamas has warned that the renewed Israeli aggression represents "a death sentence" for the remaining captives.