Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement in response to confirmation of the release of an American hostage held in captivity by Hamas:

"I am relieved to know Edan Alexander, an American from New Jersey, will soon be reunited with his family—including his mother Yael and father Adi Alexander—who relentlessly advocated for his release over these heartbreaking 19 months.

The long-overdue release of Edan Alexander is a direct result of the hands-on approach to prioritizing the interests of the American people pursued by President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Ambassador Mike Huckabee, and the rest of the Trump Administration diligently working to represent the American people both at home, and abroad. President Trump deserves full credit for continuing to raise the issue of Americans wrongly detained abroad, and pressing continually for their release and return home.

I sincerely thank the Israeli government for their assistance in securing safe passage home for Edan amid a complex security environment.

As a senior Republican member of the Foreign Affairs Committee I look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Rubio on their mission to seek peace throughout the world on terms that will benefit America and its allies, and to further support their efforts to bring wrongly detained Americans home."