The Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of two Israeli-Americans murdered by terrorists in an overnight mission in Gaza on Thursday.
Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz while taking a morning walk on October 7, 2023, when terrorists began their massacre of Israeli civilians. The Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization took the elderly couple&#8217;s bodies and held them hostage for over 600 days.
According to the IDF, the Haggais&#8217; bodies were located and recovered from the area of Khan Yunis and underwent an identification procedure by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the Israeli Police, and the IDF Manpower Directorate&#8217;s Hostage Task Force.
“Together with all citizens of Israel, my wife and I convey our heartfelt condolences to the dear families,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “We will not rest, nor will we be silent, until we return home all of our hostages — the living and the deceased.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY</a>
The return of the Haggais’ bodies brings the total number of hostages remaining in Gaza to 56. The bodies of two Americans remain hostage in Gaza: 19-year-old Itay Chen and 22-year-old Omer Neutra.
“We welcome the closure that we have been granted and the return for burial of our loved ones, who went out for a walk on that Black Sabbath morning and never came back,&#8221; the Weinstein-Haggai family said in a statement. “However, our hearts will not be whole until all 12 hostages from Nir Oz and all 56 hostages in total are brought back.”
On the morning of the attack, the couple recorded a 40-second video of themselves taking shelter in a field as an alert system played a recorded warning, and shared it in a group chat.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-says-prepared-deal-with-greta-thunbergs-flotilla-en-route-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=IDF+Says+It%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Prepared%E2%80%99+To+Deal+With+Greta+Thunberg%E2%80%99s+Flotilla+En+Route+To+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IDF SAYS IT’S ‘PREPARED’ TO DEAL WITH GRETA THUNBERG’S FLOTILLA EN ROUTE TO GAZA</a>
“What did she say?” Weinstein asked, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/kibbutz-says-gadi-haggai-abducted-oct-7-died-in-hamas-captivity-body-held-in-gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times of Israel</a> reported.
“Red alert,” Gadi responded.
Judith later called the emergency medical services, telling the dispatcher that her husband was “hit in the face” and killed.
“His face, parts of his brains are out of his — everything is covered with blood,” Judith said, adding that her husband was shot by terrorists and that she was sheltering under a tree in an unsafe place. Judith said she was also injured in the face and hand.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The IDF recovered the body of American Judith Weinstein-Haggai overnight.
Here’s her October 7 call to 911, describing her husband’s brains blown out by terrorists. She was wounded too, and the ambulance sent for her was reportedly hit by a rocket.
<a href="https://t.co/0iIfGPUf6e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/0iIfGPUf6e</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1930614394318172212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
The ambulance dispatched to assist Judith was hit by a rocket, according to her daughter, Iris Weinstein-Haggai.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/internet-trolls-convince-themselves-that-video-of-gazans-cheering-u-s-aid-is-fake?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Internet+Trolls+Convince+Themselves+That+Video+Of+Gazans+Cheering+U.S.+Aid+Is+Fake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTERNET TROLLS CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT VIDEO OF GAZANS CHEERING U.S. AID IS FAKE</a>
About a quarter of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s 400 residents were murdered or taken hostage by terrorists on October 7.
Judith, 70, was a poet, retired teacher, and New York native who also held Canadian citizenship. Gadi, 72, was a retired chef and jazz musician. The couple is survived by four children and seven grandchildren.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
A statement from the kibbutz described Judith and Gadi as the “power couple of Kibbutz Nir Oz” who fell in love when Judith heard Gadi playing the flute.
&#8220;They complete each other: he’s a goofball, just like a little kid, always dancing and laughing, while Judy is an English teacher, taking care of children, and sharing meditation and mindfulness techniques,&#8221; Kibbutz Nir Oz said.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters welcomed the return of the bodies of Judith and Gadi, saying that it “reminds us all that it is the state&#8217;s duty to bring everyone home, so that we, the families, together with all the people of Israel, can begin the process of healing and recovery.”

Judith Weinstein-Haggai and Gadi Haggai

IDF Recovers Bodies Of Two American Hostages In Gaza

Benjamin Netanyahu

Hamas

Hostages

Israel

Negotiations over hostages held by Hamas began again on Saturday between the terror group and Israel.
Talks renewed after a new offensive by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. Hamas official Taher al-Nono said that the latest negotiations have begun without “preconditions,” according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-confirms-new-gaza-ceasefire-talks-with-israel-qatar-saturday-2025-05-17/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed negotiators to stay in Qatar. An Israeli official said the prime minister has kept contact with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff “in an effort to dissuade Hamas from its refusal and to advance a deal for the release of our hostages,” according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-hamas-say-gaza-talks-renewed-after-idf-initiates-major-new-offensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times Of Israel</a>.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggested that the new round of talks is because of Israel’s latest offensive, which was announced on Saturday. Katz said that the terror group’s current stance on negotiations “is in contrast to the uncooperative position they had taken up until this moment,” according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-854313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post</a>.
Hamas last released a hostage on May 12. The terror group released the last living American citizen, Edan Alexander, from captivity after Alexander spent more than 18 months held hostage.
Israeli officials believe that the hostage group has as many as 23 hostages still alive. All but one of the hostages have been held by the terror group since October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists and Palestinians rushed across the border to Israel and attacked settlements and took hundreds captive.
Israel renewed its military campaign against Hamas on Saturday with airstrikes. It is unknown how many have been killed in the strikes. Hamas officials have claimed that more than 150 have died in the airstrikes, though the numbers are unreliable and Gaza Health Ministry data is <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/why-we-shouldnt-trust-the-facts-coming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspected</a> of being inflated and doctored for propaganda purposes.
Katz said that the new offensive, dubbed Operation Gideon Chariots, is being led with “great force,” according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-gaza-military-offensive-food-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
“The heroism of IDF soldiers, the unity of the people and the determination of the political echelon increase the chance of the return of the hostages – as it was then and as it is now,” said Katz.
IDF spokesman Col. Avichai Adraee said the Israeli military is “expanding and increasing the bombing and pressure on Hamas throughout the Strip – from north to south, above and below ground, and even outside the Strip.”
The new offensive will not stop until Israel has accomplished its aims of rescuing the hostages or having them returned, and until Hamas has been dismantled, military officials said.

Gaza City

Hamas Agrees To New Hostage Talks After Israel Pummels Terror Group In New Offensive

Global Politics

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

World

With tight hugs and tears, American-Israeli Edan Alexander was reunited with his parents today, ending 584 harrowing days in Hamas captivity.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Edan Alexander reuniting with his parents after being a hostage 584 days. <a href="https://t.co/ngvQGCZ2hL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/ngvQGCZ2hL</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1922014872272801991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
The 21-year-old greeted his parents at the Re’im base on the Gaza border. Before reaching his parents, he spoke to his mother on the phone alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
&#8220;Edan?&#8221; His mom <a href="https://x.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1921991657160929426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said screaming</a> in joy. &#8220;They just released a photo of you and you look unbelievable, wow. You look beautiful. I love you so much.&#8221;
Upon crossing into Israel in a convoy, Alexander was greeted by Israelis standing on the side of the road and cheering.
The rest of his family watched from a screen together at the hospital and were seen clapping as soon as Alexander was transferred to the Red Cross in Khan Younis by Hamas.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The reaction of Edan Alexander’s family to his transfer to the Red Cross after 584 days in Hamas captivity. <a href="https://t.co/f5qAJ0en96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/f5qAJ0en96</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1921961746090102852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
The former hostage was transported to the hospital to be reunited with other members of his family and to receive medical treatment.
Before Alexander&#8217;s release, his family said he may travel to Qatar to meet Trump this week, depending on his medical condition, <a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/05/12/edan-alexanders-qatar-trip-depends-on-his-medical-condition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported Israel Hayom</a>.
Alexander&#8217;s release was negotiated by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-visit-saudi-arabia-qatar-and-uae-in-first-middle-east-trip-this-term?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+Visit+Saudi+Arabia%2C+Qatar%2C+And+UAE+In+First+Middle+East+Trip+This+Term" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Trump administration</a> with Hamas not receiving any Arab prisoners in exchange, as it has in previous deals.
Edan Alexander was born in Rockville, Maryland, and later moved to New Jersey. He joined the Israel Defense Forces after high school and was taken captive during Hamas’ October 7 massacre while at a small outpost by Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Alexander is the first male IDF soldier abducted during Hamas’s October 7 massacre to be released.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-pearl-uses-final-four-spotlight-for-american-hostage-edan-alexander-nobody-knows-his-name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BRUCE PEARL USES FINAL FOUR SPOTLIGHT FOR AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER: ‘NOBODY KNOWS HIS NAME’</a>
Residents of his hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey <a href="https://x.com/jason_meister/status/1921880966735286306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gathered early Monday</a> morning for several hours to await Alexander&#8217;s release. Alexander&#8217;s parents fought tirelessly for his release, meeting with world leaders, speaking at high-profile events, and constantly keeping his name in the media.
While preparing for his release, Yael Alexander traveled to the IDF’s Re’im base on the Gaza border to greet him as he arrived in Israel. His grandmother, Varda, prepared her grandson&#8217;s favorite dishes while taking questions from reporters.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
In February on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/father-of-american-held-by-hamas-adi-alexander-shares-sons-story-at-cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CPAC stage</a>, Adi Alexander described his son as an “all-American kid.”
“He decided on a gap year to enlist in the IDF because of his love for both of his countries,” he said.
Adi said he has spoken to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> several times, who was shocked by the fact that 45 Americans were killed on October 7.
“Ever since we met him, he took ownership on this matter, recognizing that Americans are still being held,” he said. “We are very grateful for that but we have to push forward until they are all out.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Adi Alexander, the father of the last American believed to be alive in Hamas captivity, spoke about his son on <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@CPAC</a>&#8216;s main stage today.
“Edan is an all-American kid,” Adi said. “He decided to take a gap year to enlist in the IDF because of his love for both of his countries.” <a href="https://t.co/oT6RMkfwom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/oT6RMkfwom</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1892680023028486530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
Fifty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of four American citizens: Judith Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai, Itay Chen, and Omer Neutra.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-order-de-facto-palestinian-consulate-merge-with-israels-jerusalem-embassy?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Orders+Palestinian+Affairs+Office+to+Fold+Into+Israel%E2%80%99s+Jerusalem+Embassy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY</a>
On Monday, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum <a href="https://x.com/GLZRadio/status/1921936580270264453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1921936580270264453%7Ctwgr%5E8d1a0675a7c99f887c531ec23fb7b1fd0eb286e6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofisrael.com%2Fliveblog-may-12-2025%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published an ad</a> in the New York Post, pleading for the remaining hostages not to be forgotten and declaring that their “hope rests” with Trump.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he hopes that “we’re going to have other hostages released.”
Trump added that with Alexander’s return, there are only 20 hostages believed to still be alive.
“I am relieved that American Edan Alexander finally gets to come home,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee <a href="https://x.com/USAmbIsrael/status/1921968132727488688" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted to X</a>. “As @POTUS said, we hope that this long-overdue release marks the beginning of the end to this terrible war. Hamas alone is responsible for the continued death and suffering. We demand the immediate release of all remaining hostages.”

Edan Alexander and parents

American Hostage Edan Alexander Reunites With Parents After 584 Days In Hamas Captivity

Donald Trump

Gaza

American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was released on Monday after 584 days in Hamas captivity.
The 21-year-old’s release was negotiated by the Trump administration with Hamas not getting any Arab prisoners in exchange, as it has in previous deals.
Alexander was born in Rockville, Maryland, before moving to New Jersey. He joined the Israel Defense Forces after high school and was taken captive during Hamas’ October 7 massacre while at a small outpost by Kibbutz Nir Oz. He has been seen in Hamas propaganda videos, and is the first male IDF soldier abducted during Hamas’ October 7 massacre to be released.
Alexander&#8217;s parents fought tirelessly for his release, meeting with world leaders, speaking at high-profile events, and constantly keeping his name in the media.
While preparing for his release, Yael Alexander traveled to the IDF’s Re’im base on the Gaza border to greet him as he arrived in Israel. His grandmother, Varda, prepared her grandson&#8217;s favorite dishes while taking questions from reporters.
Alexander was handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Khan Younis without a public propaganda ceremony, which Hamas had done with other hostage handovers to humiliate them.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-pearl-uses-final-four-spotlight-for-american-hostage-edan-alexander-nobody-knows-his-name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BRUCE PEARL USES FINAL FOUR SPOTLIGHT FOR AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER: ‘NOBODY KNOWS HIS NAME’</a>
The Alexander family said that after Edan’s release, he may travel to Qatar to meet President Donald Trump this week, depending on his medical condition, <a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/05/12/edan-alexanders-qatar-trip-depends-on-his-medical-condition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Hayom </a><a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/05/12/edan-alexanders-qatar-trip-depends-on-his-medical-condition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
In a February speech at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/father-of-american-held-by-hamas-adi-alexander-shares-sons-story-at-cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CPAC</a>, Adi Alexander described his son as an “all-American kid.”
“He decided on a gap year to enlist in the IDF because of his love for both of his countries,” he said.
Adi said he has spoken to Trump several times, and that the president was shocked by the fact that 45 Americans were killed on October 7.
“Ever since we met him, he took ownership on this matter, recognizing that Americans are still being held,” he said. “We are very grateful for that but we have to push forward until they are all out.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Adi Alexander, the father of the last American believed to be alive in Hamas captivity, spoke about his son on <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@CPAC</a>&#8216;s main stage today.
“Edan is an all-American kid,” Adi said. “He decided to take a gap year to enlist in the IDF because of his love for both of his countries.” <a href="https://t.co/oT6RMkfwom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/oT6RMkfwom</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1892680023028486530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
Fifty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of four American citizens: Judith Weinstein Haggai, Gadi Haggai, Itay Chen, and Omer Neutra.
On Monday, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum <a href="https://x.com/GLZRadio/status/1921936580270264453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1921936580270264453%7Ctwgr%5E8d1a0675a7c99f887c531ec23fb7b1fd0eb286e6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timesofisrael.com%2Fliveblog-may-12-2025%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published an ad</a> in the New York Post, pleading for the remaining hostages not to be forgotten and declaring that their “hope rests” with Trump.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he hopes that “we’re going to have other hostages released.”
He added that with Alexander’s return, there are only 20 hostages believed to still be alive.
In a statement, Hamas said the move “affirms its readiness to immediately begin intensive negotiations” and is part of “the steps being taken toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings, and the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered a plan</a> for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza in a way that attempts to keep the terror organization from stealing it. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced Trump’s aid plan on Friday, noting that private firms, not Israel, would be tasked with transporting and distributing the aid, but Israel would help with security.
“The Israelis are supportive of this program, they want it to happen, but they are not operating it,” Huckabee said. “That’s important because there are some entities that would not want to participate if they thought it was an IDF operation.”
Huckabee said that a top priority is implementing the plan in a way in which the terror organization does not profit as it has in the past from humanitarian aid.
“The next factor is that all of this be done in a way where Hamas cannot get its hands on it,” Huckabee said. “Nobody is interested in helping Hamas because Hamas has taken food that was intended to help very desperate citizens and stolen it from them, sold it on the black market, and then took the money to buy weaponry to murder more people.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-order-de-facto-palestinian-consulate-merge-with-israels-jerusalem-embassy?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Orders+Palestinian+Affairs+Office+to+Fold+Into+Israel%E2%80%99s+Jerusalem+Embassy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY</a>
Last week, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this upcoming week, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.
Israel announced it will be sending a delegation to Qatar on Tuesday to negotiate a hostage deal.
Trump is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-visit-saudi-arabia-qatar-and-uae-in-first-middle-east-trip-this-term?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+Visit+Saudi+Arabia%2C+Qatar%2C+And+UAE+In+First+Middle+East+Trip+This+Term" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set to visit</a> Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the second foreign trip of his second term.

Gqwv1mrWUAAxNCh (1)

BREAKING: Last Living American Hostage Edan Alexander Released Following Trump Admin Efforts

Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that it plans to release American hostage <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-pearl-uses-final-four-spotlight-for-american-hostage-edan-alexander-nobody-knows-his-name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edan Alexander</a>.
According to the terrorist group, the 21-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen will be released as part of negotiations for a ceasefire.
&#8220;The movement has shown a high level of positivity, and the Israeli soldier with dual American citizenship, [Edan] Alexander, will be released as part of the steps being taken toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings, and the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement.
Edan was born in Rockville, Maryland, before moving to New Jersey. He joined the Israeli Defense Forces after high school and was taken captive during Hamas’ October 7 massacre while at a small outpost by Kibbutz Nir Oz. He has been seen in Hamas propaganda videos.
Hamas added that Alexander’s release “affirms its readiness to immediately begin intensive negotiations” to bring the war to the end.
Hamas said that it hopes any final agreement influences a “mutually agreed-upon captive exchange, and ensures that the Gaza Strip is managed by an independent professional body.”
“This would guarantee long-term calm and stability, as well as reconstruction and the lifting of the blockade.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
The statement did not specify when Alexander would be released, but the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-853579" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerusalem Post reported</a> that sources said the release may come in the next 48 hours.
President Trump posted on Truth Social confirming the upcoming release:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump confirms that Edan Alexander is going to be released by Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/WgjIOeTqSA">pic.twitter.com/WgjIOeTqSA</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1921696977135260110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Alexander’s parents told Israel’s Channel 12 that they were aware of the announcement and have been updated by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The White House hostage envoy has requested that Hamas also release the bodies of the four other American citizens it still holds.
The statement comes after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald Trump ordered</a> humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza in a way that attempts to keep the terror organization from stealing it.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-order-de-facto-palestinian-consulate-merge-with-israels-jerusalem-embassy?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Orders+Palestinian+Affairs+Office+to+Fold+Into+Israel%E2%80%99s+Jerusalem+Embassy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY</a>
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced Trump’s aid plan on Friday, noting that private firms, not Israel, would be tasked with transporting and distributing the aid, but Israel would help with security.
“The Israelis are supportive of this program, they want it to happen, but they are not operating it,” Huckabee said. “That’s important because there are some entities that would not want to participate if they thought it was an IDF operation.”
Huckabee said that a top priority is implementing the plan in a way in which the terror organization does not profit as it has in the past from humanitarian aid.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-three-more-hostages-die-in-gaza-dropping-total-to-21-alive?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%3A+Three+More+Hostages+Die+in+Gaza%2C+Dropping+Total+To+21+Alive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP: THREE MORE HOSTAGES DIE IN GAZA, DROPPING TOTAL TO 21 ALIVE</a>
“The next factor is that all of this be done in a way where Hamas cannot get its hands on it,” Huckabee said. “Nobody is interested in helping Hamas because Hamas has taken food that was intended to help very desperate citizens and stolen it from them, sold it on the black market, and then took the money to buy weaponry to murder more people.”
Last week, Israel approved an expanded ground operation plan that includes plans to conquer and retain more areas of the Gaza Strip. The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to make an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East this upcoming week, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jerusalem Post reported</a>.
Trump is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-visit-saudi-arabia-qatar-and-uae-in-first-middle-east-trip-this-term?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+Visit+Saudi+Arabia%2C+Qatar%2C+And+UAE+In+First+Middle+East+Trip+This+Term">set to visit</a> Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 to 16, the second foreign trip of his second term.

Donald Trump Visits Graves Of Influential Rebbes On October 7 Anniversary

Hamas Says It Will Release American Hostage Edan Alexander

Today is Mother’s Day. Around the world, children shower their mothers with flowers, cards, and celebrate cherished moments. But for me — and for the other mothers of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza — this day marks 582 days of a living nightmare that began on October 7.
I am the mother of Yonatan Samerano, a hostage. For us, time froze on October 7. For 582 days, every moment has been a blur of uncertainty, fear, and heartbreak. Every night, as parents tuck their children into bed, I lie awake, silently screaming into my pillow so I don’t wake anyone else. The weight on my chest never lifts.
Yonatan is a regular at the Nova music festival. He is vibrant, creative, full of life — &#8220;one big party,&#8221; as everyone who knows him would say. He fills every room with joy and helps countless artists in Tel Aviv&#8217;s music scene find their voice. His energy is magnetic, his spirit generous. He believes in people, in art, in freedom.
That morning at 6:29 a.m., when the rockets and sirens began, he and his friends jumped into their car to hurry home to safety. They were among the first to leave the festival grounds. A police officer directed them toward shelter in Kibbutz Be&#8217;eri, unaware they were driving straight into danger. Terrorists opened fire on their car and looters later dragged them from their vehicle.
A white Jeep then pulled up and two terrorists emerged from the vehicle. They picked up my wounded son from the pavement and placed him in the back of the Jeep, leaving his friends lifeless on the sidewalk.
The horror didn&#8217;t end with his capture. We were later forced to watch video footage of his capture. The video revealed that the man driving the Jeep was a social worker from UNRWA — an organization meant to provide humanitarian aid. He dragged my wounded son across the ground and threw him into a UN vehicle.
That’s how Yonatan was kidnapped and taken into Gaza.
I write this not just as a grieving mother, but as a witness to this unconscionable act. While others have received definitive news about their loved ones, we live in this cruel limbo — my son, shot and taken, is still in Gaza.
Every mother understands the fierceness of maternal love — but no mother should understand this pain. I wouldn’t wish even a single day of this uncertainty on any mother, anywhere. Each minute feels like an eternity.
Some mothers count the minutes until they’ll see their child again. I count minutes wondering if I’ll receive even the faintest sign that my son is still alive. Where is he? How are they treating him? Have they abandoned him? What has become of him? What remains of the beautiful soul I raised?
And yet the day passes, night falls again, and the cycle repeats — 582 days without a smile, without laughter, without any sense of life.
<div id="attachment_918277" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-918277" class="size-large wp-image-918277" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2193968537-864x576.jpg" alt="Ayelet Samerano (R), mother of Yonathan Samerano held hostage, addresses a speech during a gathering to support the hostages held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in Paris on January 18, 2025. Israel's cabinet convened to vote on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend, Israeli Prime Minister's office said. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP) (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2193968537-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2193968537-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2193968537-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2193968537.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images</div>
The hostage release <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-releases-six-hostages-as-first-phase-of-ceasefire-winds-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deal</a> in February of this year brought miraculous reunions for some families. I&#8217;ve watched mothers embrace their children after months of captivity, their faces transformed by joy. I replay those images in my mind, visualizing that moment with Yonatan to keep myself going.
Some parents of the 59 hostages still held by Hamas have succumbed to despair, seeing only darkness. I remind myself that hope is my greatest strength. It allows me to see possibilities where others cannot. Perhaps I&#8217;m not being realistic, but this hope sustains me and gives me the courage to face each day amid this chaos.
Hope is what propels me forward each morning. Yonatan gives me strength each day. He is my son, the most precious thing in my world, and I cannot surrender. I must rise, act, fight, and struggle — constantly thinking of new ideas that might help bring him home.
The last time I spoke with my son was the evening before October 7, when I dropped him off to meet his friends for the festival. That morning, when the first siren sounded, I tried desperately to reach him, but he didn&#8217;t answer.
Since then, we&#8217;ve experienced immense grief and longing. No words can express our feelings given the terrible uncertainty about our son&#8217;s condition. Our hearts break anew each day.
President Trump has made remarkable progress in bringing many hostages home. I urge him: Don&#8217;t stop — continue to do whatever is necessary to bring every last one home. The hostages have little time left to spare.
To mothers celebrating today with your children — treasure every moment. Hold them closer. Memorize the sound of their laughter. These are luxuries I dream of experiencing again.
And to my fellow mothers of hostages — I stand with you in our impossible vigil. We will continue to fight, to hope, to believe that our children will return.
Mother&#8217;s Day will truly arrive when we can hold our children again. Until then, we remain mothers in waiting, our hearts simultaneously broken, yet full of an unbreakable hope.
I carry Yonatan with me every moment — his endless magic, his beautiful spirit, his love of life. And I carry the hope that one day soon, all 59 hostages will return to their families&#8217; arms. That would be the greatest Mother&#8217;s Day gift of all.
* * *
Ayelet Samerano is the mother of Yonatan Samerano who was kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas in an UNRWA vehicle on October 7, 2023.

Yonatan Samerano

582 Days Of Waiting: A Mother’s Day Without My Son

582 Days Of Waiting: A Mother's Day Without My Son

Mother

Mothers Day

October 7

Opinion

UNRWA

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that three more hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have died, bringing the total number of living hostages down to 21.
“They said only 24 are living and I now correct, I say 21 because as of today it’s 21,” Trump said to reporters at the White House. “Three have died. So this is a terrible situation.”
Fifty-nine hostages, both living and deceased, remain in Gaza, according to official numbers.
“We’re trying to get the hostages out, we’ve gotten a lot of them out. As the expression goes, there are 21 plus a lot of dead bodies,” the president added.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-pearl-uses-final-four-spotlight-for-american-hostage-edan-alexander-nobody-knows-his-name?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bruce+Pearl+Uses+Final+Four+Spotlight+For+American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander%3A+‘Nobody+Knows+His+Name’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BRUCE PEARL USES FINAL FOUR SPOTLIGHT FOR AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER: ‘NOBODY KNOWS HIS NAME’</a>
Trump did not clarify which hostages died, or if 21-year-old American citizen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/father-of-american-held-by-hamas-adi-alexander-shares-sons-story-at-cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edan Alexander</a> is among them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Trump says that three more hostages held by terrorists in Gaza have died, bringing the total of living hostages down to 21 out of 59. <a href="https://t.co/cy13oI73dt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/cy13oI73dt</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1919885109018181725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;These are young people, and young people don&#8217;t die,” Trump added. “Old people die, but young people don&#8217;t die under these conditions.&#8221;
The Israeli government has not yet confirmed Trump’s claim, though <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocked-by-tariffs-on-israel-netanyahu-heads-to-white-house-to-negotiate-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a>’s wife Sara told reporters the number was less than 24, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-reveals-that-number-of-living-hostages-has-dropped-from-24-to-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Times of Israel </a><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-reveals-that-number-of-living-hostages-has-dropped-from-24-to-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
Trump made the comment during the official swearing-in of Steve Witkoff as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff has been tasked with negotiating a ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel.
On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-greenlights-major-operation-conquer-occupy-gaza-strip?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Israel+Greenlights+Operation+To+Occupy+Gaza+Strip+If+Hamas+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Make+Deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved a plan</a> to invade and occupy the Gaza Strip in an expanded ground operation.
The plan, named “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” will go into effect if Hamas fails to reach an agreement with Israel by the end of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East next week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said military action would be intensified during the operation which he believes will help rescue the hostages.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marco-rubio-order-de-facto-palestinian-consulate-merge-with-israels-jerusalem-embassy?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Orders+Palestinian+Affairs+Office+to+Fold+Into+Israel’s+Jerusalem+Embassy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RUBIO ORDERS PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS OFFICE TO FOLD INTO ISRAEL’S JERUSALEM EMBASSY</a>
“We decided on intensified action in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “That was the IDF chief of staff’s recommendation — to move, as he said, toward the defeat of Hamas. He believes this will also help us rescue the hostages. I agree with him.”
Tens of thousands of IDF reservists are expected to be called up to help with the operation, which is reportedly one of the largest since the war began in October 2023.

President Trump Meets with Non Argamani

Trump: Three More Hostages Die in Gaza, Dropping Total To 21 Alive

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration secured the release of the 47th unjustly detained American citizen since taking office 100 days ago.
Youras Ziankovich was released without a prisoner swap this week and brought to neighboring Lithuania by a team of American officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Chris Smith, CNN reported. Ziankovich was detained in Moscow in 2021 and brought to Minsk, Belarus, where he was accused of being involved in a planned United States-backed coup against Belarus’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko.
“Thanks to<a href="https://x.com/POTUS" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> @POTUS</a>&#8216;s leadership, Belarus has released another wrongfully detained U.S. citizen,” Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1917610906944499821">tweeted</a>. “No president has done so much, so quickly, to keep Americans safe abroad.”
The 47 unjustly detained Americans were released from countries including Afghanistan, Russia, and Venezuela through high-level diplomatic efforts, according to Rubio.
“I knew this day would come. It took 1,480 days, but he survived and is on his way home to me and to America,” Ziankovich’s wife, Alena Dzenisavets, said, reported CNN. “I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Special Envoy Boehler and the SPEHA staff. I also want to express my appreciation to Rep. Morgan Luttrell and the nonprofits Global Reach and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation for their help advocating for Youras.”
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-secures-release-of-american-citizen-wrongfully-detained-in-belarus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously negotiated</a> the release of two other Americans from Belarus, one who wishes to remain anonymous, and Anastasia Nuhfer.
“We have one American citizen, which is a huge win and a response to President Trump’s peace through strength agenda,” Smith said when the unnamed American was released in February. “The Belarusians are responding to this and we are going to keep working until we get all Americans out.”
The release comes after the Trump administration secured the freedom of two Americans from Russia who caught national media attention, including American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-trump-is-a-hero-marc-fogel-welcomed-at-white-house-after-release-from-russian-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">schoolteacher Marc Fogel</a> in February and Russian-American amateur ballerina Ksenia Karelina in April.
Fogel, sentenced to 14 years in 2021 for possessing medical marijuana, was welcomed at the White House upon his return and called Trump “a hero.” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-secures-release-american-ballet-dancer-wrongfully-detained-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karelina was arrested</a> in 2024 while visiting her grandmother and sentenced to 12 years for treason after donating $51.80 to Razom, an American charity providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Trump Admin Secures Release Of 47th Wrongfully Detained American Citizen Abroad

Marco Rubio

Russia

As Israel marks its 77th Independence Day and President Donald Trump completes his first 100 days in office, my heart is somewhere else entirely: in the darkness of Gaza, where my son Bar remains in captivity — frail, frightened, and forgotten by far too many.
Bar Kupershtein is 23 years old. He was abducted by Hamas terrorists at 9:15 a.m. on October 7, 2023, from the Nova Music Festival. Just three hours earlier, at 6:30 a.m., Bar called to check in on his grandmother as sirens sounded across Israel. He assured her that he was ok and would soon be returning home. He never made it. Instead of running, Bar stayed and helped others flee the area. He provided medical aid to the wounded, organized the evacuation of thousands, and — despite opportunities to run for his life — chose to remain behind to save lives. Survivors have testified to his heroism.
<div id="attachment_913445" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-913445" class="size-large wp-image-913445" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Kupershtein family. Bar Kupershtein." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-10-42-AM-2184-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Kupershtein family.</div>
That decision, one rooted in bravery and selflessness, led to his capture.
This is who Bar is: a caregiver, a leader, a young man of tremendous character.
I myself was seriously injured in 2019 while volunteering as a medic, on my way to resuscitate a 4-year-old girl. A terrible car accident left me disabled and struggling to speak. This is where Bar really stepped up. He moved in with his grandparents to make space for my caregiver and began working at the festival to help support our family, including his four siblings. He became the pillar of our family.
Now, that pillar is crumbling in an underground tunnel beneath Gaza.
In a recently released video by Hamas, used as psychological propaganda, Bar appears gaunt, drastically thinner, his eyes hollow, and his body weak. He did not speak, we did not hear his voice. He looks like a different person — one shaped not by time, but by torment.
Our entire family is struggling to maintain hope. I am learning to speak again so I can be Bar’s voice, calling out from the silence of the tunnels. My father, Bar’s grandfather, is a Holocaust survivor — he has suffered two strokes since Bar’s abduction. My mother is battling bowel cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. The pain has seeped into every corner of our home and yet nothing is as severe as painful as longing for Bar’s release.
<div id="attachment_913447" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-913447" class="size-large wp-image-913447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-1024x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Kupershtein family. Tal Kupershtein speaks at a rally on behalf of his son, Bar." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/MixCollage-29-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-9910-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Kupershtein family.</div>
President Trump, your first 100 days have shown boldness and decisiveness on many fronts. You have demonstrated strength and urgency during this period. I implore you now to bring that same resolve to this urgent humanitarian crisis. The United States has long prided itself as a beacon of moral leadership. You have the power to rally the international community. You have the influence to pressure Hamas. You have the ability to make a deal happen. Please use it.
Now I ask you — beg you — to apply that same determination to the ongoing hostage crisis. Use your influence to rally international partners. Press every available lever. Show the world that America stands for life, for freedom, and for human dignity.
To the global community: do not let these hostages fade from view. Their suffering continues every day as negotiations stall and the world grows quieter. Bar and the 58 others held in Gaza are not just numbers — they are our children, our parents, our friends, and loved ones.
If your child were held underground in darkness, I’m sure you would not stop short of anything to bring them home. So I will never stop! The world must never stop until they all come home!
My son is still alive. But we are running out of time. Let these 100 days be remembered not just for politics, but for courage — for choosing life over fear, action over delay, hope over silence. And please help me hug my son again!
I promise, when Bar finally returns — when I see him again — I will summon every bone in my broken, wheelchair-bound body to rise. I will teach myself to walk again, if only to take one step closer to my son. To hold him. To remind him that he was never alone.
Bring my Bar home.
* * *
Tal Kupershtein is the father of Bar Kupershtein who was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-HOSTAGES

Bring My Son Home: A Father’s Plea To President Trump And The World

Bring My Son Home: A Father's Plea To President Trump And The World

Nova festival

President Trump

Auburn University men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl, who led his team to the NCAA Final Four earlier this month, is taking on a new role off the court — chairman of the board of directors for the pro-Israel nonprofit, U.S. Israel Education Association (USIEA).
His new role comes after he used his team&#8217;s successful season to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vocally-pro-israel-coach-leads-auburn-to-the-final-four?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Vocally+Pro-Israel+Coach+Leads+Auburn+To+The+Final+Four" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promote</a> the release of the 59 hostages still in Hamas captivity, including 21-year-old American Edan Alexander. Pearl will replace former Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), who chaired the House Veterans Affairs Committee from 2017 to 2019 and was the ranking member until 2021.
“I’ve dedicated much of my life to teaching young people about the importance of leadership, values, and understanding different perspectives,” Pearl said in a statement. “My work with USIEA aligns with those principles, and I’m excited to continue building a bridge of understanding between these two great nations.”
<div id="attachment_891963" style="width: 938px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-891963" class="size-large wp-image-891963" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Edan-Alexander-928x576.jpg" alt="This photograph taken on January 21, 2025, shows a poster bearing a portrait of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas militants. (Photo by AFP)" width="928" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Edan-Alexander-928x576.jpg 928w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Edan-Alexander-300x186.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Edan-Alexander-768x477.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Edan-Alexander.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" />Israel-American Edan Alexander was taken hostage by Hamas during the terror group&#8217;s October 7, 2023, massacre. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Pearl led the Auburn Tigers to the program&#8217;s first-ever Final Four appearance and has been a <a href="https://auburntigers.com/staff/bruce-pearl">head coach</a> for 29 seasons, with his teams advancing to the NCAA Tournament 22 times.
He and his wife, Brandy, first became acquainted with USIEA when he went on the group’s 2019 Partners Tour to Israel, during which participants had high-level briefings on Israeli defense, artificial intelligence, and U.S.-Israel foreign policy.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-heats-up-ground-offensive-in-gaza-in-effort-to-pressure-hamas-to-return-hostages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISRAEL HEATS UP GROUND OFFENSIVE IN GAZA IN EFFORT TO PRESSURE HAMAS TO RETURN HOSTAGES</a>
“My experience in Israel was transformative,&#8221; Pearl said. &#8220;I felt it was my responsibility to become more involved in the mission of USIEA and educating senior government leaders in America on the importance of supporting Israel.” 
The 2025 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-basketball-ap-coach-of-year-1e4d079d3caaab71ad3d9d6848f6f7de">Associated Press</a> College Basketball Coach of the Year — an award he shared with St. John&#8217;s head coach, Rick Pitino — is expected to help USIEA educate and assist government leaders who are involved in advancing U.S.- Israel relations.
<div id="attachment_900387" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-900387" class="size-large wp-image-900387" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2207690199-864x576.jpg" alt="Bruce Pearl alongside the court while wearing his Auburn University sweater." width="864" height="576" />Auburn University men&#8217;s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has called for the release of 59 hostages held captive by Hamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)d</div>
“Since Coach Pearl and Brandy’s involvement with USIEA, we’ve experienced significant growth and interest in our organization, benefiting from the respect and recognition he commands in both the sports world and the broader community,” USIEA Founder and CEO Heather Johnston said. “But most of all, we’ve been inspired by his generosity, passion for Israel, and unwavering commitment to our mission.”
Johnston added that Pearl’s commitment to Israel and love of America are “at the core of his personal beliefs, topics he frequently addresses in interviews.” 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-apologizes-for-inaction-after-students-antisemitic-abuser-pleads-guilty?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=University+Apologizes+For+Inaction+After+Student’s+Antisemitic+Abuser+Pleads+Guilty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNIVERSITY APOLOGIZES FOR INACTION AFTER STUDENT’S ANTISEMITIC ABUSER PLEADS GUILTY</a>
Pearl said he has shared his journey of advocating for Israel with his team, including having Auburn University become the first Division I basketball team to play against a professional Israeli team. Pearl described the game as “marking a historic moment in both college athletics and U.S.-Israel relations.”
Pearl, who has been wearing a “Bring Them Home” dog tag as a necklace, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vocally-pro-israel-coach-leads-auburn-to-the-final-four?row=0&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;title=Vocally+Pro-Israel+Coach+Leads+Auburn+To+The+Final+Four&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened</a> a postgame press conference last month by drawing attention to Alexander. 
“I just felt compelled to say his name when I knew everybody was listening and have the discussion,” Pearl <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bruce-pearl-uses-final-four-spotlight-for-american-hostage-edan-alexander-nobody-knows-his-name?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bruce+Pearl+Uses+Final+Four+Spotlight+For+American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander%3A+%E2%80%98Nobody+Knows+His+Name%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Daily Wire.</a>
“It just bothers me tremendously that people are gonna pay attention to a basketball coach winning a basketball game when we have an American held hostage in Gaza, named Edan Alexander, and nobody knows his name,” he added.
<div id="attachment_808863" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-808863" class="size-large wp-image-808863" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-864x576.jpg" alt="Edan Alexander with Ben Shapiro and Donald Trump at the grave of the leader of the Chabad Lubavitcher movement." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/GettyImages-2177310884-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Edan Alexander&#8217;s family has met with leaders and influential people around the world, including President Donald Trump and Ben Shapiro. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)</div>
Edan was born in Rockville, Maryland, before moving to New Jersey. He joined the Israel Defense Forces after high school and was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/father-of-american-held-by-hamas-adi-alexander-shares-sons-story-at-cpac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken captive during</a> Hamas’s October 7 massacre while at a small outpost by Kibbutz Nir Oz. He has been seen in Hamas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-teases-release-of-last-living-american-hostage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">propaganda videos</a>.
Pearl said that he hopes President Donald Trump is close to crafting a deal that will bring home the remaining hostages still in Hamas captivity.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yarden-bibas-describes-hamas-brutality-thanks-trump-in-first-interview-since-release?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Yarden+Bibas+Describes+Hamas+Brutality%2C+Thanks+Trump+In+First+Interview+Since+Release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YARDEN BIBAS DESCRIBES HAMAS BRUTALITY, THANKS TRUMP IN FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE RELEASE</a>
Following the remarks, Pearl was connected to Alexander’s father, Adi, and learned that his other son, Roy, was a basketball fan.
“He called me and told me just how much it meant to him,” Pearl recalled. “I said, ‘I’d just love to meet you, I don’t know what else I can do for you.’”
Pearl said he decided to bring him to a basketball game that weekend in Atlanta and invited the whole family as his guests.
“I just wanted to spend time with him and just to let him know that they’re not alone,” Pearl said. “There are so many, so many people, including so many American Jews that are praying for him and his family to bring his son home.”

Bruce Pearl and wife Brandy

Star NCAA Coach Bruce Pearl Takes New Role In Pro-Israel Advocacy Group

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On Monday, American victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of more than 1200 people in Israel filed a lawsuit against a U.S. billionaire who<a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845379" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reportedly advised</a> the Trump administration envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, accusing the billionaire of aiding Hamas in the October 7 attack. Boehler was negotiating directly with the terrorist group Hamas in March.
Billionaire Bashar Masri, who lives in Washington D.C., “is portrayed in the lawsuit as a central figure who leveraged his cultivated image as a peace-building entrepreneur to secure funding while covertly supporting Hamas,” attorney Marina Medvin, who represented some of the January 6 defendants, noted, adding, “His alleged background includes participation in the First Intifada and ties to Qatari investors linked to Hamas. His companies PADICO, PRICO, PIEDCO, and Massar International are accused of being under Masri’s control and instrumental in owning, operating, and integrating the properties into Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Interesting new lawsuit filed today in DC by American October 7 victims against Bashar Masri, a US billionaire, accusing him of aiding Hamas in the October 7 attack.
Masri advised Trump admin on Hamas negotiations, specifically advising Adam Boehler, who conducted unprecedented…
&mdash; Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1909244462431125631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Masri and the companies he controls including Defendants Palestine Development &amp; Investment Company (&#8220;PADICO&#8221;), Palestine Real Estate Investment Company (&#8220;PRICO&#8221;), and Palestinian Industrial Estate Development Company (&#8220;PIEDCO&#8221;) developed and operated prime properties in Gaza for outwardly legitimate purposes. But in reality, they were also used to construct and conceal Hamas&#8217;s attack tunnels, store and launch its rockets at Israel, host Hamas leadership and foot soldiers, train Hamas naval commandos-and even to produce electricity for Hamas&#8217;s attack tunnel infrastructure,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://x.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1909245945616667022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>. “Just prior to the October 7 Attack, Masri even installed an individual closely tied to Hamas as Chairman of PIEDCO.”
“As far back as 2014, Al Mashtal Hotel, adorned with large UN and EU signage on its roof, hosted a significant network of Hamas attack tunnels used to launch rockets into Israel and served as a command center for Hamas&#8217;s leaders during its conflict with Israel that summer,” the lawsuit <a href="https://x.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1909246611936412095">continues</a>. “The IDF eventually struck the launch sites and damaged the hotel. In the following years, Defendants worked closely with Hamas to renovate and refurbish the hotels, including electrical upgrades used to power Hamas&#8217;s tunnel network beneath them, and to restore and enhance the rocket launching sites positioned near the hotels, which Hamas deployed on October 7, 2023, and thereafter. Hamas&#8217;s terrorist tunnel network not only ran under Masri&#8217;s hotels, but the tunnels were accessible directly from guest rooms and other facilities inside the hotels.”
While Boehler was meeting with Hamas, he made <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-adam-boehler-trumps-complacent-confused-and-dangerously-naive-hostage-envoy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statements</a> in which he referenced Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, a close ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said he could see members of Hamas being “nice guys,” stating:
<blockquote>
I spoke with Ron, and I’m sympathetic. He has someone that he doesn’t know well, making direct contact with Hamas. Maybe I would see them and say, “Look, they don’t have horns growing out of their head. They’re actually guys like us. They’re pretty nice guys.
</blockquote>
Boehler also said he “wanted to say to Hamas, what is the endgame that you want here? Not the dream endgame, but what do you think is realistic at this point?” Asked whether he “realistically” thought “that Hamas would eventually agree to lay down its weapons and not be part of Gaza’s political future,” he immediately replied, “I do believe that.”
Boehler later <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hostage-envoy-adam-boehler-50f28c5b58a0e585df526d0b2da13856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew</a> his nomination for special presidential envoy for hostage affairs but is still involved in hostage negotiations.

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October 7 Victims File Suit Against Arab Billionaire Who Reportedly Advised Trump Hostage Negotiator

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Coach Bruce Pearl says he&#8217;s using the spotlight of the Auburn Tigers Final Four run to draw attention to the last American hostage believed to be alive in Hamas captivity.
“It just bothers me tremendously that people are gonna pay attention to a basketball coach winning a basketball game when we have an American held hostage in Gaza, named Edan Alexander, and nobody knows his name,” Pearl told The Daily Wire.
Pearl, who has been wearing a “Bring Them Home” dog-tag as a necklace, opened a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vocally-pro-israel-coach-leads-auburn-to-the-final-four?row=0&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;title=Vocally+Pro-Israel+Coach+Leads+Auburn+To+The+Final+Four&amp;category=News">press conference</a> viewed by millions after Auburn’s victory over Creighton last month by drawing attention to 21-year-old Alexander. 
“I just felt compelled to say his name when I knew everybody was listening and have the discussion,” Pearl said.
Edan was born in Rockville, Maryland, before moving to New Jersey. He joined the Israeli Defense Forces after high school and was taken captive during Hamas’s October 7 massacre while at a small outpost by Kibbutz Nir Oz. He has been seen in Hamas propaganda videos.
Pearl said that he hopes President Donald Trump is close to crafting a deal that will bring home the remaining 59 hostages in Hamas captivity. 
Following the remarks, Pearl was connected to Alexander’s father, Adi, and learned that his other son, Roy, was a basketball fan.
“He called me and told me just how much it meant to him,” Pearl recalled. “I said ‘I’d just love to meet you, I don’t know what else I can do for you.’&#8221;
Pearl said he decided to bring him to a basketball game that weekend in Atlanta, and invited the whole family as his guests.
“I just wanted to spend time with him and just to let him know that they&#8217;re not alone,” Pearl said. “There are so many, so many people, including so many American Jews that are praying for him and his family to bring his son home.”
Despite having a different religion from the majority of his athletes, Pearl said they all connect over being children of Abraham and talk about God “every single day.”
“Most of my student athletes are Christian and I&#8217;m a coach, so my job is to bring people together—that&#8217;s what I do. And religion, unfortunately, sometimes has found ways to separate people to create division and divide,” Pearl said, adding that he prefers finding common ground.
“What I tell my players, about 95% of whom are African American, is, yes, there are absolutely obstacles to success and yes, there are obstacles to success being Jewish. There are obstacles to success being African American. But there are not road blocks,” Pearl said. “ I don&#8217;t want to hear that. You can&#8217;t do it because of this or because of that. I don&#8217;t want to hear it.&#8221;
Pearl said that his success and the success of two of the other coaches in the final four who are Jewish is proof that America is the “greatest country in the world where there is opportunity for everybody.”
&#8220;It can be done and Todd Golden and John Scheyer and Bruce Pearl are great examples of what can be done,” Pearl said, referencing the other two Jewish head coaches in the Final Four. 
Pearl credited his team&#8217;s success to God.
“The only way I can explain it, is it&#8217;s a God thing, like God&#8217;s got his hand all over this. Why me and why us? God reminds me all the time who I am, where I came from, and my love of my country, and my love of my faith and my ancestral homeland, Israel, means as much to me as, as life itself,” Pearl said. “I&#8217;ve been in this work for a long, long time, but it&#8217;s just that maybe more people are noticing now because we&#8217;ve had some more success.”
Looking forward to the upcoming games, Pearl said his team will have to play the best two games of the season in order to win the national championship. 
“I&#8217;m so proud of our guys,” Pearl said. “We will have to play the two best games of the year against Florida and the winner of the Houston-Duke game if we&#8217;re gonna be crowned national champion, but there&#8217;s only four teams left in the country that are still playing for the National Championship, and Auburn is one of them.”

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Bruce Pearl Uses Final Four Spotlight For American Hostage Edan Alexander: ‘Nobody Knows His Name’

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