President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted freed American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander in the Oval Office on Thursday, marking the former soldier’s first visit to the White House since his release from Hamas captivity in May. The meeting, which the White House said lasted about half an hour, fulfilled Trump’s public pledge to bring Alexander home and included the hostage’s parents and siblings. Alexander, 21, was abducted on Oct. 7 2023 while serving in the Israel Defense Forces and was held in Gaza for 584 days—the last living American believed to be in Hamas hands. He was released on May 12 2025 in what U.S. officials described as a goodwill gesture amid U.S.-mediated cease-fire negotiations. During the visit, Alexander thanked the president for what he called decisive diplomacy that secured his freedom and asked Trump to intensify efforts to obtain a comprehensive agreement for the roughly 50 hostages still believed to be in Gaza. According to participants, he also told Trump that his treatment in captivity improved noticeably after Trump’s election victory last November. The Oval Office meeting comes ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled trip to Washington on Monday, as the administration presses Israel and Hamas to finalize a 60-day cease-fire and hostage-exchange deal. In a statement, the White House reiterated its commitment to "bringing every hostage home."