Mother of Israeli-American hostage ‘shaken’ by Hamas video of her son begging Netanyahu and Trump for deal

By Jennifer Hauser and Lauren Izso

(CNN) — The mother of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander says she has been assured by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “conditions are ripe” for a hostage deal, just hours after Hamas released a video of her son begging the Israeli leader and US President-elect Donald Trump for his release.

Yael Alexander, whose son Edan was kidnapped by militants on October 7 last year, said she was “shaken by the video” as she spoke in front of thousands at a rally on Saturday night at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, where families of the hostages have been gathering every week for months to call on the government to bring them home.

Earlier on Saturday, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Alexander pleading with Netanyahu and Trump not to forget him and to do whatever they can to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. While Hamas has released similar videos in the past, this was the first Alexander has appeared in. His family has consented to the media’s release of the video.

Edan’s mother told the crowd in Tel Aviv she had been contacted by the Israeli leader following the release of the video.

“My Edan, my love, we miss you so much. I want to tell you that following your request, about an hour ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called me. He strengthened me and assured me that now, after the deal in Lebanon, the conditions are ripe to release you and bring you home,” she said.

She was referring to a 60-day ceasefire agreement that went into effect between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon on Wednesday. The families of the hostages are hopeful that following the ceasefire in Lebanon, a deal can finally be made to bring their loved ones home from Gaza.

Her son Edan appears to be under duress in the video as he states that he has been held captive for more than 420 days. Saturday marks 421 days since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted.

It comes one year after 100 hostages were released in a short-lived hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas last November.

CNN can’t independently confirm when the video was recorded but Alexander acknowledges that Trump has been elected as US president as he calls on him to use US-influence to bring the hostages home and criticizes the Biden administration. “Please do not make the mistake Biden has been doing,” he says in the video.

Alexander also says he does not want to “end up dead like my fellow USA citizen, Hersh” – a reference to American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg Polin, who was killed in Hamas captivity in August.

The Israeli prime minister confirmed he had spoken with Alexander’s family Saturday following what his office called “the publication of the brutal psychological warfare video in which an important and exciting sign of life was received from Edan.”

Netanyahu said he felt the family’s agony and that “Israel is working with determination and in every way to return them home, along with all the abductees who are in the hands of the enemy.”

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, Sean Savett, described the video as “a cruel reminder of Hamas’ terror against citizens of multiple countries, including our own” and said it had been in touch with Edan’s family.

The spokesperson said Hamas was to blame for refusing so far to do a deal to release the hostages. However, he added that a deal was “on the table now” and that “as (President Joe Biden) said last week, we have a critical opportunity to conclude the deal to release the hostages, stop the war, and surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum also reacted to the video shortly after its release, saying it was “shocking” but adding that it was “definite proof that despite all the rumors there are living hostages and they are suffering greatly.”

“One year after the first and only deal, it’s clear to everyone: returning the hostages is only possible through a deal. After more than 420 days of continuous abuse, starvation, and darkness, the urgency of bringing home all 101 hostages cannot be overstated.”

“As time runs out, we urge both current and incoming US administrations to exhaust every possible option and leverage every form of pressure – the hostages’ lives hang by a thread,” it added.

At the end of the video Alexander speaks to his parents and grandparents saying, “Every day that passes, the pain increases inside me. I miss you very much. Everyday, everyday, I pray to see you soon. Please be strong. It is only a matter of time until this nightmare ends.”

The-CNN-Wire
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