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U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander, who was released from Gaza in May after being held hostage for 584 days, is once again wearing an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uniform and stands ready to fight Hamas.
“I know the language, I know their culture, I know a lot of things about these demons. I just told myself there’s no way I’ll take this present and put it aside. I have to use it and return it,” Alexander said while speaking at the site of the Nova music festival massacre.
“I wanted [Hamas] to see I’ll never break, and that I’ll return the favor. You gave me hell? I’ll give you hell,” he added.
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Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, returned to his hometown of Tenafly, N.J., on June 19. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Alexander, a New Jersey native, also said it was the first time since his release from captivity that he was in uniform near the Gaza border.
The former hostage was addressing a group of over 1,000 Christian pastors, youth leaders, educators and social media influencers, who are attending a week-long summit in Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. The event, known as the Ambassador Summit 2025, included several speakers, such as U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)
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Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, all of whom are former Hamas hostages, also addressed the groups. The Times of Israel reported that the released hostages also received the “Here Am I Award” from Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion (FOZ) museum in Jerusalem, one of the groups behind the summit.
Alexander also said he would share with the IDF information about Hamas that he gathered while in captivity.
Edan Alexander speaks with loved ones following his release. (IDF)
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In September, Alexander announced at an event for “Friends of the IDF” that he intended to return to his military service. He said the 584 days he spent in captivity were “the hardest days of my life. Days of struggle, pain and separation from my family,” The Times of Israel reported.
“Next month, God willing, I will return to Israel. I will once again, put on the IDF uniform, and I will proudly serve alongside my brothers,” Alexander said, according to The Times of Israel. “My story does not end with survival. It continues with service.”
At the time of his release, Alexander was the last living American citizen held hostage in Gaza.