Father of American hostage in Gaza hopeful he is still alive

By Rachael Levy

(Reuters) - The father of a U.S.-Israeli hostage held in Gaza said on Saturday he remains hopeful his 21-year-old son was still alive after Hamas said it could not account for his status.

Adi Alexander, whose son Edan was serving in the Israeli army when he was captured on October 7, 2023, called on the United States to engage in direct talks to free the remaining hostages – dead and alive – abducted during the deadly attack launched by Hamas two years ago in southern Israel. 

"I think we should engage back with them directly and see what can be done in regards to my son, four American dead hostages and everybody else," the father said in an interview on Saturday.

"It seems like the negotiations are stalled, everything is stuck and we are kind of back to a year ago," he added. "It's really concerning."

Hamas had previously agreed to release Edan Alexander, believed to be the last surviving American hostage held by the militant Palestinian group, as well as the bodies of four other Americans it captured on October 7, 2023. 

The armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday it did not know the fate of Alexander, after noting that the guard holding him was killed. Reuters could not verify Hamas' claim. 

Hamas abducted Edan Alexander when he was 19 during its attack that killed nearly 1,200 people and triggered Israel's ongoing incursion in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas. 

Edan, who holds dual nationality, grew up in New Jersey. His father said his son was an "all-American kid, great athlete ..., such a loving, loving boy" who found himself in "the wrong place, wrong time."

Hamas recently released an undated video, purportedly of Edan. His father Adi said, "He looked very scary to us - just a horrible, horrible video."

A hostage video is, by definition, made under duress and the statements in it are usually coerced, according to international law groups and human rights experts.

He said if he could speak to his son now, he would tell him, "Just believe. You know, nobody forgot about you. Definitely not your parents, and everybody is fighting for your release on the highest level in the States and I believe also in Israel."

Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza. Fewer than half of them are believed to be still alive.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson had no comment on the status of Alexander but reiterated that Hamas must immediately release him and all remaining hostages, and that Hamas "bears sole responsibility for the war, and for the resumption of hostilities."

(Reporting by Rachael Levy in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Richard Chang)