Edan Alexander, who was freed Monday from Hamas captivity, is the first kidnapped soldier to return to Israel alive since October 7—and not as part of a military operation. His release came thanks to intense efforts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as Alexander holds American citizenship and, until Monday, had been referred to in the U.S. as "the last living American hostage."
Meanwhile, 11 other Israeli soldiers remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, where they have been held for 585 days. Three of them are believed to be alive; the remaining eight, along with one Border Police officer, were killed in battle. These are their names and stories:
Captured unconscious, brutally beaten by terrorists: Matan Angrest
Matan Angrest, an armored corps soldier from Kiryat Bialik, fought alongside his tank crew on the morning of the October 7 Hamas attack at Nahal Oz. He was captured from his tank while unconscious and was severely beaten by terrorists. He served in the same tank as Itay Chen and Daniel Peretz, who were killed that morning and whose bodies were abducted to Gaza. Another member of their crew, Tomer Leibowitz, was also killed in the fighting.
A devoted Maccabi Haifa fan, Matan is known for his love of soccer, working out, and playing PlayStation. He has three siblings—Adi, 18, Ofir, 16, and Roy, 9. Shortly before his abduction, he received a commendation from the commander of the 7th Brigade.
In a video sent by the IDF to Angrest’s family after he was taken into Gaza, released last month, Matan is seen being interrogated by a terrorists. Asked about his role in the army and his message to his family and the Israeli government, he says: “To my family—I hope to see you soon. I love you. To Netanyahu, you must make the deal between the prisoners here (the hostages) and the prisoners in Israel. I want to see my family and friends, and I trust you.” He adds, “I truly love you, I miss you very much. I don’t know how this situation happened. I hope to see you soon. Love you all.”
Video of Matan taken in Hamas captivity
(צילום: באדיבות מטה המשפחות)
Matan's mother, Anat, recently criticized decision-makers for the lack of a deal to free the hostages. In an interview with Ynet two weeks ago, she said: “For a year and seven months, we’ve been receiving the same empty messages that 'efforts are continuing'—as if to give the illusion that something is actually being done.” She added, “The only thing that needs to be done is to declare that Israel is willing to halt the war in exchange for the hostages' release. What’s the political plan to end the war? We keep losing soldiers fighting for the hostages. Stop this hell. There are no more achievements to be gained from this war.”
His father identified him by a tattoo: Nimrod Cohen
Nimrod Cohen, also a tank crew member, was abducted from Tank 3, where he fought Hamas militants on the morning of the attack alongside Lt. Omer Neutra, Sgt. Shaked Dahan, and Sgt. Oz Daniel. Their unit was stationed near the White House outpost, between the kibbutzim Nir Oz and Nirim. On the day of the attack, Nimrod’s parents, Vicki and Yehuda, saw a video of the tank crew’s abduction. Yehuda recognized his son leaning against the barrel. Nimrod is the youngest brother of Yotam and the twin of Romi.
In early March, a sign of life from Nimrod emerged when he appeared in a Hamas-released video showing the final moments before fellow hostage Iair Horn was separated from his brother Eitan, who remains in captivity. Hamas blurred the faces of other hostages in the video—except for Sagiv Dekel-Chen, who has since been released—but Nimrod was identifiable by a tattoo on his arm. “It’s easy to recognize him by that; he got the tattoo just days before he was kidnapped,” his father told Ynet.
Nimrod’s family has been vocal and relentless in advocating for his release. “I’m living in constant terror for Nimrod, for the other hostages, and for our soldiers,” said Vicki. “This is an impossible situation—a pointless, political war with no clear goal. There’s no plan for how to bring Nimrod and the others back, and it keeps me awake at night—though it’s not like I sleep much anyway.”
"We know he was taken alive": Tamir Nimrodi
Tamir Nimrodi is the third soldier still believed to be alive, although recent statements from President Trump and Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli prime minister, have raised concerns that he may be among three hostages feared dead.
Tamir’s father, Alon, told Ynet last week: “No one has seen or heard from him in captivity. Military Intelligence believes he’s alive because of the circumstances of his abduction. He was taken alive, arrived in Jabalia alive, and was interrogated there. That hasn’t changed—it’s not based on anything official.” He added, “Tamir is labeled a ‘question-mark hostage.’ He’s still listed among the 24 believed to be alive, not just one of the 21. That’s how the defense establishment sees it. The doubt only stems from what Trump and Sara Netanyahu said—it didn’t come from the military. I confirmed this, and I say it clearly.”
The Nimrodi family later issued a formal statement: “Tamir was kidnapped into Gaza on October 7 while alive, and we have received no information suggesting otherwise. His status has not changed.”
Tamir, 20, from the town of Nirit in central Israel, was kidnapped from the Gaza District Coordination and Liaison base where he served—just a month shy of his 19th birthday—alongside fellow soldiers Ron Sherman and Nick Beiser, who were killed in captivity and later returned to Israel for burial. Footage of the abduction shows Tamir being led barefoot and in pajamas. He is the eldest child of Herut and Alon and the brother of Mika and Amit. Among his belongings, his family found a note he had written listing his life goals: “To help as many people as possible, to build a close social circle, not to hurt others.”
The fallen soldiers held in Gaza
Among the 58 hostages still held in Gaza are eight Israeli soldiers who were killed in battle and taken, as well as a Border Police officer who fell in combat.
Col. Asaf Hamami, from Kiryat Ono, commander of the Southern Brigade in the Gaza Division, was killed in battle with terrorists. His death was confirmed nearly two months after October 7. He is survived by his wife and three children.
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Master Sgt. Muhammad al-Atrash, a tracker in the Northern Brigade from the Bedouin village of Saawa in the Negev, was killed defending the Gaza border region. His family was notified in June. He was married with 13 children—the eldest 18, the youngest just a month old when he was kidnapped—and had 22 siblings.
Sgt. Itay Chen, Angrest’s tank mate, was killed and abducted from the same tank. Itay held American citizenship from his father, Robby, and German citizenship from his mother, Hagit. He was the middle child of three, younger brother to Ori and older brother to Alon. A professional basketball player before joining Battalion 7.
Capt. Daniel Peretz, commander of Angrest and Chen’s tank, was also killed in the fighting. He was the son of Rabbi Doron Peretz, chairman of the World Mizrachi Movement. Daniel was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and made aliyah with his family at age 13.
Capt. Omer Neutra, originally from the U.S., was the commander of the tank from which Nimrod Cohen was abducted. He grew up in Long Island and immigrated to Israel at 18. For over a year, his family did not know his fate until they were informed in December that he had been killed on October 7.
Sgt. Oz Daniel, who fought alongside Cohen and Neutra in the tank that was struck near the White House outpost, also fell in battle. He is survived by his parents, Meirav and Amir, and his twin sister, Hadar.
Sgt. Shay Levinson, from Givat Avni in the Lower Galilee, died defending the border. He commanded a tank that repelled militants using shell fire. His death was confirmed three months after the war began. A professional volleyball player for M.S. Eilabun, he is survived by his parents, Shlomit and Kochav, and two brothers.
Lt. Hadar Goldin, an officer in the Givati Brigade’s elite reconnaissance unit, was killed during a ceasefire in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and his body was taken by Hamas. He is considered a fallen soldier whose burial place is unknown. His family has campaigned tirelessly for his return, alongside that of Sgt. Oron Shaul, whose body was returned to Israel in January in a joint IDF-Shin Bet operation.
Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, a Border Police officer from Meitar, was killed in combat at Kibbutz Alumim. Before his death and abduction, he saved the lives of dozens of Nova festival attendees in Re’im. He is survived by his parents, Itzik and Talik, and two siblings, Omri and Shira.