The parents of Edan Alexander, an American Israeli soldier captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, urged U.S. officials and negotiators to persist in their efforts to secure his freedom, on Newsmax Saturday.
Speaking on "America Right Now," Adi and Yael Alexander expressed their gratitude for ongoing efforts but emphasized the situation's urgency.
"We have no indication about the fact that he will be out at the first stage," said Yael Alexander. "Hopefully, he will be out between now and 40-something days from now. But we are kind of hoping that the deal will hold up and they will be fully executed through its whole stages, including the third one."
Edan Alexander, who grew up in New Jersey before joining the Israeli army, was abducted while guarding his base. Adi Alexander recounted a video released by Hamas during Thanksgiving weekend, which confirmed Edan Alexander was alive.
"We know that he's alive. On Thanksgiving weekend, Hamas released a video that we all saw. He was speaking Hebrew. He was speaking English," Adi Alexander said.
"He also spoke to President [Donald Trump] Trump. In this video, we saw him just begging for his life and telling us, the family, and also his sister and brother just to stay strong and hoping that this situation will be resolved soon."
The video, Adi Alexander said, was a painful but hopeful moment.
"I believe in Trump. I believe in his people — that they're doing whatever they can to bring our son back home to the States."
Adi Alexander, who travels frequently to Israel to connect with other hostage families, expressed mixed emotions as he witnessed other hostages being freed.
"My heart is filled with joy to see these photos. I believe it's going to happen to us also soon. And I'm just happy for them, you know, to get the girls back home."
Adi said, referring to the four female hostages who were released by Hamas and are confirmed by the Israeli Defense Forces to be in Israeli territory in the second round of hostage releases since the Jan. 19 ceasefire.
Since the video, the Alexanders have received no additional updates on their son's condition. However, Yael Alexander acknowledged the ceasefire as a step forward.
"Thankfully, there is a ceasefire. Guns got quiet a couple of weeks ago, and this week shows that the deal can be executed, and it's on the way. So we have to sit tight and pray," Yael Alexander said.
The Alexanders shared a unified message for U.S. negotiators and the international community: Don't stop.
"Just keep pushing, guys Don't let the pressure off. If anything can go south in the Middle East, it will. We have to seize this process and just keep pushing," Yael Alexander said.
Adi Alexander echoed the sentiment with a sense of urgency.
"Keep pushing. It's a matter of life and death, and we don't have time. The hostages don't have time. They need to act, and hopefully, it's going to happen."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com