Who Is Edan Alexander?
Who is Edan Alexander?
Mr. Alexander is an American Israeli dual citizen who grew up in Tenafly, N.J.
In 2022, during his senior year of high school, he joined Garin Tzabar, which prepares young people from around the world to join the Israel Defense Forces. He moved to Israel to serve in the military after he graduated and was assigned to the infantry.
Mr. Alexander was stationed near the border with Gaza in September 2023.
How was he taken hostage?
Mr. Alexander was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. He was taken from a tiny military outpost near the border with Gaza.
Last year, Hamas released a video of him.
An American Israeli friend of Mr. Alexander, Omer Neutra, who was serving in the same post, was also taken by Hamas.
In December, the White House announced that Mr. Neutra was killed on Oct. 7 and that Hamas had been holding his remains since the attack. He was 21.
How has Mr. Alexander's family responded?
His parents, Adi and Yael Alexander, were born in Israel, and they have two other children. They have agitated relentlessly for Mr. Alexander's freedom, meeting with officials and speaking at rallies.
'We live in agony each day that passes without our son,' his parents wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times in September after the discovery of the body of another hostage, the Israeli American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
On Sunday, the Alexanders traveled to Israel with Trump administration officials. In a statement, the family called his coming return 'the greatest gift imaginable.'
They also urged Israel's government to negotiate the release of the remaining captives, saying, 'No hostage should be left behind.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top South Dakota official apologizes for releasing voter data
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's top elections official has apologized for the state releasing information about voters who also were seeking public assistance, such as food aid. Secretary of State Monae Johnson made the voter registration rolls of more than 600,000 voters public last month to comply with a new state law. But the spreadsheet of voter information also included a field for source of registration, which disclosed whether an individual registered to vote at a public assistance agency, such as those offering housing help and food assistance. Federal law prohibits the government from releasing information about those receiving public assistance. The data leak drew condemnation from across the state, and the American Civil Liberties Union called it an 'egregious violation of voters' privacy rights.' Johnson apologized on Friday. 'As Secretary of State, I take full responsibility for the release of this information. My office is committed to both transparency and protecting voter privacy," Johnson said in statement. 'Upon discovering the issue, we acted immediately to remove the data and prevent further dissemination.' The information was taken off the website Friday, the day after the ACLU sent a letter to the office demanding the state fix the issue. Individuals who had their information disclosed have been notified by mail, and those with access to the information will be asked to delete it. The secretary of state also clarified that registering at a public assistance agency does not necessarily mean an individual is receiving benefits. In South Dakota, a person can register to vote at driver's license exam stations, disability service offices, military recruitment centers and county auditor offices in addition to public assistance agencies. The ACLU is now encouraging those who were impacted to fill out their legal intake form. "Essentially, voters who exercised their right to register to vote at public benefits offices were punished for it through this substantial privacy violation,' ACLU South Dakota Advocacy Manager Samantha Chapman said. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is appointing legal counsel to represent the Secretary of State's office and the state legislature in case of potential lawsuits. Sarah Raza, The Associated Press
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Janel Grant's representation calls Brock Lesnar's return to WWE 'attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug'
Brock Lesnar put a punctuation mark on WWE SummerSlam Sunday night with his return to the ring after a two-year absence from the promotion. Lesnar came out to confront John Cena following his defeat to Cody Rhodes and loss of the WWE championship, eventually attacking Cena and using his signature F-5 finishing move on him. Yet while the excitement of a feud with Cena was the takeaway from SummerSlam, Lesnar's return also raises reminders of why he took a two-year hiatus. The seven-time WWE champion was named in a federal lawsuit against former WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. The lawsuit was filed against the company by former WWE employee Janel Grant, alleging that McMahon had sexually assaulted and trafficked her. On Monday afternoon, Grant's represenation issued a statement regarding Lesnar's return to WWE. "For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWE's leadership," the statement says. "Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable." "This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire," the statement added. "We look forward to the full set of facts, including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you back to Janel Grant's updated complaint, which outlines, in detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while employed at WWE." The full lawsuit can be read here, via the Wall Street Journal. One of the claims in the complaint alleges that McMahon shared "sexually explicit photographs and videos of Ms. Grant (including pornographic content he recorded) with other men both inside and outside the company." That included "a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract (and ultimately did sign that contract)." Lesnar was not initially named beyond that description in the lawsuit, but that has since been changed to outright name him in the complaint. McMahon denied all allegations in Grant's lawsuit, but resigned as WWE chairman in January 2024. Lesnar hadn't appeared for WWE since then, with the company shelving plans to feature him in that year's Royal Rumble. However, Lesnar was apparently cleared by WWE's lawyers to return as a performer four weeks ago, according to reporter Dave Meltzer (via Cageside Seats). Though Meltzer was not able to provide details, he speculated that being cleared meant that the lawsuit may go to arbitration and Lesnar faced no legal jeopardy. His return to WWE appears to support that notion.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
3rd person arrested for allegedly helping a Tennessee fugitive wanted in family's killings
Abandoned-Infant-Four-Dead JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Police in Tennessee have charged a 23-year-old woman with assisting a man wanted in the murders of the parents, grandmother and uncle of an infant found alive miles away from the crime scene. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Dearrah Sanders of Jackson, Tennessee, was arrested on Monday and charged with being an accessory after the killings. Investigators also arrested two men over the weekend on similar charges, alleging they helped 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond after the July 29 killings. Drummond remained on the run on Monday afternoon, the TBI said in a news release. Authorities have left many questions unanswered, including how the three people allegedly helped Drummond, the manner in which the victims were killed and how the baby ended up in a car seat in the Tigrett area, roughly 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) from the bodies. Last week, authorities said they found the car in Jackson that they believe Drummond had been driving. Authorities believe the family murders were a targeted attack by Drummond, who had a relationship with the victims, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch said. The baby is safe and being cared for. Officials have warrants for Drummond that charge him with four counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping and weapons offenses. His criminal history includes prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors. He was also charged with attempted murder while behind bars. Authorities have identified the four people found dead in Tiptonville as James M. Wilson, 21, and 20-year-old Adrianna Williams, the baby's parents; 15-year-old Braydon Williams and 38-year-old Cortney Rose, the mother of Adrianna Williams and Braydon Williams.
