US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met Edan Alexander

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) met with Edan Alexander, who was held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, along with the family of Omer Neutra, an IDF member killed by Hamas shortly after the attacks in Gaza. The meeting took place in the Oval Office.

The White House emphasized 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, fueling hopes for a potential deal to implement President Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Negotiators are set to return for further discussions. The meeting, held on Monday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, was described as “positive,” with a roadmap established for how the current round of talks will continue, according to Al Jazeera.

The Hamas delegation informed mediators that Israel’s ongoing bombing of Gaza is posing challenges to negotiations regarding the release of captives. Notably, the Hamas delegation included leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, two negotiators who survived an Israeli assassination attempt last month in Qatar’s capital, Doha, which killed five people.

The first day of talks covered several key issues, including the proposed exchange of prisoners and captives, a ceasefire, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

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 parts of his plan to end the Gaza war.

“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” Leavitt said. She further noted that the teams were reviewing the lists of both Israeli hostages and political prisoners slated for release, according to 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

You may also like

Trump set to address the nation as dozens of Democrats say they’ll boycott

2026 年 2 月 24 日

Defense attorneys build mapping tool to track Justice Dept. “weaponization”

2026 年 2 月 22 日

Democrats’ fear rising that too many candidates in governor’s race could lead to a Republican victory

2026 年 2 月 21 日