The White House condemned the harrowing video released Saturday of hostage Idan Alexander as a “brutal reminder of the horrors of Hamas.”
Disturbing footage of the hostages shows a 20-year-old boy covering his face and crying. Alexander, a dual American and Israeli citizen, was serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack.
In the video, Alexander appeared gaunt and pale. The hostage explained that he had been a prisoner for more than 420 days and had delivered a coercive message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Trump.
On Saturday, National Security Council spokesman Sean Savet said the White House was aware of the footage and had been in contact with Alexander's family.
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of hostage Edan Alexander during a World Day of Unity and Prayer with the Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which represents the relatives of those captured by Palestinian Hamas militants in the October 7, 2023 attack. A woman holding a statue. (Yuri Cortes/AFP via Getty Images)
“The hostage video of American-Israeli Edan Alexander released today is a cruel reminder of Hamas' terror against citizens of multiple countries, including our own.”
“If Hamas agreed to release the hostages, the war in Gaza would stop tomorrow and the suffering of Gazans would end immediately – and it would have ended months ago,” Savet added. “Despite the government's refusal to do so, as the President said last week, we have a significant opportunity to secure a deal to free the hostages, end the war, and increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza. ”
Savet also promised that President Biden “will continue to work around the clock” to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza.
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Edan Alexander, who was born in Tel Aviv and raised in New Jersey, is currently a Hamas hostage in Gaza. (Hostage Family Forum)
The video's release comes days after the Israel Defense Forces and the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Lebanon. In announcing the agreement on Tuesday, Biden acknowledged Hamas' reluctance to release hostages.
“Too many civilians are suffering too much in Gaza,” the president said in the White House Rose Garden. “And for months, Hamas has refused to negotiate a good-faith ceasefire and hostage agreement.”
Alexander's parents, Yael and Addie Alexander, appeared on “Fox & Friends” last month to talk about their son. During the interview, the New Jersey resident spoke about his meeting with President-elect Trump.
“I just told you [Trump] “What a Jersey kid he is,” Yael said of Edan. “I told the president, people said, [were] rescue[d] In mid-November, I was told that Idaan was seen in the tunnel and was talking to them.[ing] Please tell everyone that he is an American citizen. ”
Israeli soldiers ride in a military vehicle near the Israel-Lebanon border on Wednesday, November 27. (Reuters/Ronen Zvrun)
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“He tried to calm everyone down and say, 'Listen, you're all civilians. You'll be out soon, very quickly. Don't worry.'” It gave us a lot of strength to know that we were comforting people in the world,” she added.
Reuters and Fox News Digital's Bailey Hill contributed to this report.
