TENAFLY, N.J. — The Hamas commander who held Tenafly native Edan Alexander captive in a Gaza tunnel has been killed by the Israel Defense Forces, prompting an emotional but measured response from Alexander’s family.

The IDF announced Thursday that Ismail Mohammad Ibrahim Barim, a commander in Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, was killed. The military said Barim had held Alexander alongside hostages Matan Zangauker and Avera Mengistu in a tunnel in southern Gaza. The IDF also accused him of violating a ceasefire and continuing attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

For Alexander’s family, however, the news brought mixed emotions.

“Learning that the person who held our son captive has been eliminated brings up complicated emotions for our family and this news does not erase the unimaginable suffering Edan endured,” Edan’s father, Adi Alexander, told The Record's Deena Yellin.

“But what matters most to us is that our son survived and that we continue to support him in any way possible,” he said. “Our focus remains where it has always been - Edan’s healing and a future where innocent people are never again subjected to this kind of violence.”

Alexander grew up in Tenafly and graduated from Tenafly High School in 2022. He moved to Israel after graduation and volunteered to serve in the IDF.

He was 19 when Hamas terrorists captured him while he was guarding a base in southern Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Alexander spent 584 days in captivity before being released in May 2025 as part of a deal negotiated between President Donald Trump and Hamas.

His return to Tenafly was celebrated with a parade through downtown, and the borough later honored him by naming a street Edan Alexander Way.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who advocated for Alexander’s release during his captivity, said Thursday that “Justice has been served.”

“This monster threw an American kid from New Jersey into a hole in the ground and tortured him for more than 500 days,” Gottheimer said. “I hope he rots in hell for what he did to Edan Alexander and every other hostage.”