The parents of released hostage Edan Alexander on Tuesday expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, and hostage envoy Adam Boehler for their work in bringing their son home.

The US brokered the deal with Hamas to release hostage Alexander as a gesture of goodwill to Washington. He was released from captivity on Monday and was still being observed at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where his parents spoke to the media.

Neither Yael Alexander, who spoke in Hebrew, nor her husband, Adi Alexander, who delivered his statement in English, mentioned the Israeli government, except to call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to listen to the country’s call to bring the rest of the hostages home.

“I say that the return of Edan should be only the beginning of bringing back the rest of the hostages,” said Yael Alexander. “We have no time to wait. Time is running out, and the world is watching us.”

Adi Alexander added that Witkoff called US officials to share the news that Edan had crossed back into Israel and was safe in his family’s arms.

Witkoff also arranged a phone call for Edan Alexander with Trump after his release home, and participated in Alexander’s call with the prime minister.

The couple, standing in the lobby of the hospital, were surrounded by their other two children and other family members, all holding pictures of hostages still in captivity.

The Alexanders were both born in Israel and have been living in Tenafly, New Jersey, for the last 20 years.

Edan, the eldest of their three children, was born in the US and chose to serve in the Israel Defense Forces as a lone soldier when he turned 18 and graduated from his American high school.

He is the first male hostage soldier abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught to be returned to Israel by the terror group.

Alexander was serving in the IDF’s Golani Brigade at the time of his abduction. He was kidnapped from his base near the Gaza border community of Nirim, known as the White House post, during the attack.

“President Trump, Steve Witfkoff, and Adam Boehler worked day and night to bring back my son,” said Yael Alexander in her hospital statement.

On Sunday, after the Alexanders heard about their son’s imminent release, Yael Alexander flew to Israel with Boehler and his staff, followed by her husband and two children on a commercial flight.

Adi Alexander said they will never be able to express the meaning Witkoff and Boehler’s work held for them. “We’ll never forget the tireless effort on Edan’s behalf; we are in their debt,” he said.

Yael Alexander also thanked the Israeli public for supporting her and her family in the effort to bring her son home.

“Most of the public believes that bringing back the hostages is the most important goal, a national and Jewish goal,” she said. “It’s not about the political right or left, but about the human heart.”

Yael Alexander said Edan had told of suffering terrible fears in captivity, and a lack of water, food and other aid. He also described the terror he experienced when the IDF would strike Gaza, destroying buildings.

“The strikes and bombs made him think that every moment was about to be his last one,” she said. “Edan, my hero, you returned from the horror. But other hostages are still living through that threat, they are still living in that hell. My heart has returned to beating, but they still need to return home.”

Alexander said that every day that her son was in captivity was like an eternity.

Adi Alexander emphasized in English what his wife had said in Hebrew.

“It’s wonderful to have Edan home,” he said. “It’s a gift from God to watch him hug Yael, his brother and his sister, knowing that his suffering is over and that our family can begin to heal.”

Adi Alexander said that their son, now 21, will soon return to their home in New Jersey, where he’ll reunite with his friends.

“Those happy times may include a beer or two,” he said, noting that Edan had already enjoyed his first beer after months of captivity on the rooftop of the hospital, a moment that the released hostage also shared on social media.

“This isn’t just about our family,” said Adi Alexander. “Tomorrow, a new set of negotiations will begin that could lead to more hostages coming home and eventually the end of this war.”

“For me and my family, the effort to bring home all 58 hostages will continue until they’re all at home,” he added. “Hopefully, these negotiations will lead to that moment.”

Alexander returned from captivity with injuries from beatings sustained in the early days of his captivity, Channel 12 news reported, citing the captive’s testimonies since returning.

According to the network, Alexander also had flea bites and bruises all over his body.

During his captivity, he was severely tortured, and for a period, he was kept with a bag over his head. He was only informed he would be released on Monday morning — hours before he was freed.

Food was scarce during captivity and included pita, rice, and beans, but improved significantly during the January-March ceasefire, when he was fed meat and lamb, according to the report — testimony consistent with those of other hostages who have returned.

Alexander was considered an “asset” by his captors due to his US citizenship, who nicknamed him “The American,” according to the report.

Alexander reportedly said he was held in several places, both aboveground and inside tunnels. He was guarded by senior Hamas officials who kept him updated on the war and shared details of the brutal massacre the terror group conducted on October 7, 2023.

In one instance, Alexander miraculously emerged unharmed after a tunnel in which he was being held collapsed, the report said. The last place he was held was a relatively large tunnel, according to the report.

He also saw his family being interviewed and campaigning for his release on television, according to Channel 12.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.