'Last American hostage in Gaza' Edan Alexander was not US citizen, source saysThe Trump administration took the unusual step of negotiating directly for the release of captive IDF soldier Edan Alexander on the grounds that he was a dual American-Israeli citizen. But a source who's been in contact with his family says he was not a US citizen at all. The Grayzone has confirmed Alexander is a client of elite immigration lawyers.On May 11, 2025, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social app to proclaim that his administration had secured the release of one of the last and most high profile Israelis held in the Gaza Strip. He had been held captive for 584 days, and according to Trump, he was also a US citizen. "I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is coming home to his family," Trump declared.
Two days later, Alexander appeared alongside his Israeli-born, US-based parents for a photo in the lobby of Tel Aviv's Sourasky Medical Center with Steve Witkoff, the president's personal Middle East envoy, and Adam Boehler, the State Department Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs. There, Witkoff presented Alexander with a gold Star of David necklace worn by his late son, Andrew, who died from an opioid overdose in 2011. "You would be doing a great honor to my son if you keep wearing this," a visibly emotional Witkoff told Alexander.
A photo of the meeting between Alexander and the US diplomats posted on Twitter/X by the US Embassy in Jerusalem described the former captive as "the American Edan Alexander."
During the final days of his captivity in Gaza, and after his release, ABC News and many other media outlets referred to Alexander as "the last living American citizen held by Hamas," or as a "dual Israel-American citizen."
The Trump administration ultimately took the unprecedented step of negotiating directly with Hamas for Alexander's freedom on the grounds that he was a US citizen. During the talks, Trump's hostage negotiator, Adam Boehler, implicitly threatened US military action against Hamas if a "hair on [Alexander's] head is hurt."
However, The Grayzone has learned that Alexander was not an American citizen at all. According to a source who has been in contact with Alexander's family,
Alexander filed an application in the summer of 2025 with the US Department of State to become a naturalized citPost too long. Click here to view the full text.