Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Saturday (Nov 30), published a video showing an Israeli-American hostage pleading for US President-elect Donald Trump’s help in securing the release of the ones held captive in Gaza.
Edan Alexander addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hebrew and Trump in English.
He then urged Israelis to demand action from the government to secure the release of the hostages held captive by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023.
Alexander’s mother Yael, later at a rally for the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday said that the video has upset her it shows how the hostages are crying out for help.
“This video has upset me, but beyond the hope it gives us, it shows how bad the situation is for Edan and the other hostages and how much they are crying out and hoping to be saved now,” she said.
She then said that she had spoken to Netanyahu further telling the crowd, “You must keep your promise and free them. This state is strong enough to end the war and bring them all back, including my Edan.”
The Israeli prime minister’s office released a statement saying that Netanyahu had “promised that Israel is determined to take every action to bring them back home, together with all of the hostages held by the enemy”.
He also described the video’s release as “cruel psychological warfare”.
‘Cruel reminder of Hamas’ terror’
White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said that the video was “a cruel reminder of Hamas’s terror”.
“The war in Gaza would stop tomorrow and the suffering of Gazans would end… if Hamas agreed to release the hostages,” Savett said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Hostage Families Forum campaign group reiterated its calls for the release of hostages.
“One year after the first and only deal, it’s clear to everyone: returning the hostages is only possible through a deal,” it said in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.