President Donald Trump addressed the parents of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander during an event marking the National Day of Prayer at the White House on Wednesday.
"Edan Alexander's parents are here today. He is the last known living American hostage," Trump said. "We don't know how he's doing, really. We think we know, and hopefully positive," Trump said.
"Two months ago, we were pretty sure. It looked like he was getting out. But they (Hamas) toughened up a little bit. And it's a terrible thing, I know what you're going through," he added.
Alexander, a native of New Jersey, moved to Israel in 2022 and was abducted during the Oct. 7 massacre carried out by Hamas against the Jewish people.
Trump reiterated his longstanding claim that the Oct. 7 attack would not have occurred had he still been president, citing the sanctions he imposed on Iran. "Before I left the White House in 2021, Iran was ready to make a deal," he said. "The pressure of the sanctions was unbearable."
Photo: Reuters
Addressing Idan's parents, Adi and Yael, Trump said: "I cannot imagine your pain. But we are with you. We stand with you. We will do everything we can in a short time. Things are heating up there, as you know. We have managed to get many hostages out. They want to draw it out slowly. They are using them as bargaining chips. We're working very hard to save your son, we have news coming out, both good and bad.""
Trump also spoke of his conversations with hostages and their families. He recalled the inhumane conditions in which they were held and the grief of families whose loved ones were killed, and their wish to retrieve the bodies for burial.
Reflecting on the fate of the hostages, Trump said, "Think about it - out of 59, you had 24 that were living, and now I understand that it's not even that number."
