US President Donald Trump met with Edan Alexander, who was held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, and the family of Omer Neutra, an IDF member killed by Hamas shortly after the attacks in Gaza, in the Oval Office on Tuesday (local time). The White House emphasized President Trump’s commitment to bringing all hostages home.
In a post on X, the White House stated:
“Today, on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, President Trump welcomed Edan Alexander, who was held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, and the family of Omer Neutra to the Oval Office. President Trump is committed to bringing every hostage home.”
Meanwhile, the first day of resumed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt ended on a positive note amid hopes for a potential deal to implement President Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. Negotiators are set to return for further discussions.
The meeting, held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, was described as “positive.” A roadmap was drawn up outlining how the current round of talks would proceed, Al Jazeera reported.
The Hamas delegation informed mediators that Israel’s ongoing bombing of Gaza poses a significant challenge to negotiations regarding the release of captives. The delegation included Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, two negotiators who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar’s capital, Doha, that killed five people last month.
Day one of the talks covered key issues such as the proposed exchange of prisoners and captives, a ceasefire, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added that President Trump is actively pushing for an early exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners. This effort aims to build momentum toward implementing other aspects of his plan to end the Gaza conflict.
“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” Leavitt said. She also noted that teams are “going over the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released,” as quoted by Al Jazeera.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/trump-holds-talks-with-former-hamas-hostage-family-of-slain-idf-soldier-as-gaza-conflict-reaches-two-year-mark-23597709