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New York Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Memorial Day is for freedom's defenders — like our son Omer Neutra, slain by Hamas
On Monday we join all Americans to honor those brave men and women of our military who gave their lives to secure liberty — and we reflect, too, on the life of our son, Capt. Omer Neutra. Omer, raised on Long Island, was a kind, gentle soul who made people feel included and cared for. He was a protector, the captain of his high school basketball team at Solomon Schechter Day School who rooted for the Knicks. When he was accepted to SUNY Binghamton, it seemed Omer had a comfortable American life ahead of him. Instead, at age 19, he postponed college and enlisted as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. Advertisement Omer wanted to serve, to protect, to stand as a guardian against those who would harm the innocent. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched their brutal attack, murdering over 1,200 innocent people and kidnapping 251 others. The dead included 45 American citizens; 12 Americans were taken hostage. Omer was one of thousands of first responders who rushed toward danger to protect civilians. He displayed selfless valor and bravery. Advertisement Wednesday marks 600 days since that horrific attack — an unthinkable number. For 421 of those days, we believed Omer was alive, held captive by Hamas. In December we learned the devastating truth: Our son was killed on Oct. 7 while defending innocent lives. His body remains held by terrorists who view human dignity as negotiable. The reality of losing our son hit us in waves — first, the shock of learning he was gone; then the surreal experience of seeing his sacrifice recognized publicly. Advertisement When we see the Nassau County street sign bearing our son's name, it's beyond comprehension. Yet it's fitting that his name marks a place where our local community has consistently gathered since Oct. 7 to fight for the return of all hostages. On the day Omer's death was announced, flags at all state buildings were lowered to half-staff. In that moment, we felt the weight of how our country honors sacrifice, how it acknowledges those who serve and pay the ultimate price — not just for their nation, but for the cause of freedom itself, wherever that battle must be fought. Advertisement Freedom requires ordinary people to make extraordinary choices. It demands that some give their lives so that others may live in liberty. The American people understand the sacred principle of 'leave no one behind' — a commitment that defines military service and bonds soldiers together in an unbreakable covenant. Two weeks ago, we witnessed the joyous release of Edan Alexander, another American-Israeli soldier who, like Omer, went to Israel to serve. Edan's family lives in New Jersey, and our sons shared so much in common. They were both at the same post on Oct. 7, and we learned in hindsight that they knew each other. Over these 20 months, we, the Alexanders and all the hostage families have united in grief, hope and determination. We're relieved Edan is back and pray that his return begins the release of all the remaining hostages. President Trump has assured us that he is committed to that goal — and his leadership has brought unprecedented progress. There's a growing realization that until it happens, real healing in the Middle East cannot occur. A deal to release all the hostages must be signed and this war needs to end. The terrorists who took our son's life and continue to hold his body, along with the 57 remaining hostages, represent the antithesis of everything we honor on Memorial Day. Advertisement They target civilians, celebrate death and use human beings as bargaining chips. They seek to destroy the very freedoms that American and Israeli service members have died to protect. On Memorial Day, we remember that the fight for freedom takes many forms and crosses many borders. Many Americans, like our Omer, serve as guardians against terror in different lands but with the same noble purpose: protecting the innocent and preserving liberty. Advertisement The values we celebrate on Monday — sacrifice, service and unwavering commitment to freedom — live in the hearts of all who choose to stand against evil, who rush toward danger when others flee, and who understand that some things are worth more than life itself. As we honor America's fallen heroes, we also honor our son Omer and all who have given their lives in defense of freedom. Their sacrifice demands that we never forget, never surrender to those who would destroy liberty, and never stop fighting for the return of those still held in darkness. Ronen and Orna Neutra are the parents of Capt. Omer Neutra.
CNN
20-05-2025
- CNN
Freed hostage's parents describe long-awaited reunion with their son
In October 2023, Edan Alexander was taken hostage along with hundreds of other Israelis by the terror group, Hamas. Edan spent 584 days in captivity and was reunited with his family on May 12. CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks with Alexander's parents about reuniting with Edan and what it has been like since his release.
CNN
20-05-2025
- CNN
Freed hostage's parents describe long-awaited reunion with their son
In October 2023, Edan Alexander was taken hostage along with hundreds of other Israelis by the terror group, Hamas. Edan spent 584 days in captivity and was reunited with his family on May 12. CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks with Alexander's parents about reuniting with Edan and what it has been like since his release.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hostage Edan Alexander's parents share the joy of a long-awaited reunion
Tel Aviv — American-Israeli Edan Alexander was among the first Israeli captives taken into Gaza during the Hamas-orchestrated Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack. One week ago, he was reunited with his family in a deal brokered by the Trump administration and led by the White House's Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff. Alexander and his family have credited the Trump team with saving his life, and in a sit-down interview with CBS News, the young soldier's parents told senior foreign correspondent Debora Patta about the remarkable moment they learned Edan would be released, and the moments they've cherished since. Edan Alexander spent 584 days in Hamas captivity. After a number of false starts and false hope for his release, when the call finally did come from the highest levels of the U.S. government, his father missed it — eight times. "So, we were all at home in Jersey after the Mother's Day brunch that we had," recalled his mother, Yael. "I was blowing out some leaves," said his father, Adi. When he put down the leaf blower, he realized he had "missed eight phone calls from Steve Witkoff." When Adi finally got in touch with the senior White House envoy, "he told us in 10 minutes from now, Hamas will be announcing about your son's release tomorrow." "I thanked him. Non-stop; 'Thank you, Steve! Thank you so much,'" Yael recalled saying down the phone line. "It's the happiest Mother's Day ever!" "We were like, yelling, like crazy with the kids," she said. As Yael, Adi and their two other children watched the television, the announcement came that Edan would be released the following day, just as Witkoff had promised. "And we were like, okay, we need to pack! We need to... Get to Israel!" Finally, the reunion they'd dreamt of for more than a year and a half was taking shape. Adi booked a flight immediately. Yael had already booked one for later that same day, in a sheer stroke of luck, planning to go and be with family in Israel right after marking Mother's Day. Neither of the parents got much rest on their flights to Israel. "I couldn't sleep the whole flight," Yael told CBS News. "Like, you're alert ... I couldn't sit even, you know? I was like in full adrenaline, like, ready, to be there and to get Edan back, you know?" As soon as they touched down, they were whisked away to an Israeli military base, where Edan soon arrived after being handed over by Hamas. "Definitely I gave him like, the biggest hug ever," said his mother. "When I came to him, I came in full power! We almost fell, because he was weak, and he was very excited, like he was standing, like shivering, you know, because, wow, it's unbelievable — and I'm screaming, and I am like, you know, holding him. It was — wow." The parents said Edan remains weak, but doctors cleared him for release from the hospital where he's been treated. He's still getting medical attention for some minor injuries sustained during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which his mom and dad said, "nobody took care of in those tunnels." Even getting his freedom back was a harrowing ordeal. "The day of release was a very busy day for him," father Adi told CBS News. "It took forever. They moved around and crawled under, and it was a very tough day on him. He didn't sleep the whole night before that, because he was excited, he didn't sleep. He was like, super, super tired, so it took like, almost two days after for him to decompress from the day of the release." Since then, Edan has given them some details about his captivity, but they aren't pushing him. "He talks a lot about it, but no rush. We're not asking. If you want to say something, you say, and we're not pushing," said his father. "He went through a lot of stuff." "He's just happy to be home, you know, just to sit with Mika and Roy [his siblings] and just to hang out and just be with us and watch TV yesterday," his parents said. During his long captivity, Edan saw his parents on the news, pleading for his release. "I think the fact that he saw us, saw us running and fighting and knocking on every door, kept him hopeful," said his father, along with "the fact that he was held with other hostages all together, and not by himself, kept him hopeful. And he's just a strong kid, you know, strong mentally and physically." Hamas has held many of its hostages in tunnels under the Gaza Strip, with many, including Alexander, saying they never saw daylight at all. "I'm so pale," his mother recalled him saying. "I look like a vampire!" Israel has stepped up its war in Gaza, where the Hamas-run Ministry of Health says more than 53,000 people have now been killed since the fighting began, including more than 500 in the last week alone. Families of the hostages — 58 of whom are still believed to be held in Gaza, including about 20 thought by Israeli officials to be alive — have taken to the streets regularly, decrying the renewed offensive as putting their loved ones at even greater risk. "Edan told us, so when they heard the bombing, it was very, very concerning, scary," said Adi. "And at some point, one of the tunnels collapsed." "He told us sometimes he was afraid to go to sleep. Because maybe they are going to bomb this place that he is specifically inside," added the father. "It was very scary." Now back together as a family, their thoughts are still very much with the other hostages. "We are still continuing to speak for all the 58 hostages that are still there," Yael told CBS News. "Whatever Edan told me about hostages [who were] with him, you know, during any time of the captivity, I'm calling their moms and dads, and I'm telling them from the hospital — I've done it already — and I am telling them whatever Edan told me. You know, to give them a little bit hope that their story could end also soon, and with a good ending." She knows better than most how much power that hope can provide. "It's very important, you know. For me, every hostage that got released, it was like, 'Oh my God, maybe he saw Edan. Maybe he can tell me something, and I don't care if it's not from two days, you know. Maybe a year ago he was with Edan, but still, to hear something about my boy, you know, it was very crucial to us." At least one of those previously released hostages came to visit Edan in the hospital last week. Fellow U.S.-Israeli dual national Sagui Dekel-Chen, who was released after 498 days in captivity, said in a statement released Monday by the Hostage Families Forum that he and Edan were together for a while in captivity. "Our fates became intertwined in the most complex situation one could imagine," Dekel-Chen said in the statement. "It was important for me to come and welcome Edan upon his return. I know what he went through and what he still has ahead of him. I am very happy for him and his family. I hope that soon I will be able to embrace all the other hostages who remain behind as well." Yael Alexander said "it was unbelievable to see" the two men reunited in freedom. "It was a miracle. This is the victory — to see the hostages together." Asked what their family wanted the world to know now, as rumors swirl once again of potential progress in ceasefire talks despite the ramped-up Israeli military operations, Adi said the message was simple: Act now. "The urgency," he told CBS News. "Just the urgency. Our son, he was lucky to get out … Listen, you can't treat agony with more agony. This war needs to end." For the time being, however, there is no end in sight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Monday that Israel intends to keep pushing its offensive in Gaza, to seize complete control of the Palestinian territory. "We're grateful for Steve [Witkoff], for President Trump, and for Adam Boehler," said the relieved father. "Great job. But the job is not done. We still have more to do." "It's time for them to come home. All of them," said Yael. "Not in small pieces, just, to bring everyone back home." Raw Video: Mexican navy training ship hits Brooklyn Bridge Italy's Trulli: From Past to Present Car bomb outside Palm Springs fertility clinic was act of terrorism, officials say
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Family of Hamas hostage Edan Alexander recalls dramatic Gaza release
Edan Alexander -- the American-Israeli hostage freed from Gaza last week -- was "weak and exhausted" upon his dramatic release, his mother Yael told ABC News, recalling her son's first moments of freedom after 584 days as a Hamas captive. "I was screaming and running until I bumped into him," Yael said of her reunion with Edan at Israel's Re'im military base near the Gaza border. Edan "was so weak that he almost fell because he was also so excited, but he was so exhausted," Yael continued. "I start crying like crazy. Because, that was the moment, you know? That's it. I got it. My son is here. He's in my arms." Edan, from New Jersey, moved to Israel at the age of 18. He was serving in the Israel Defense Forces when captured from his base close to the Gaza border during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. He was 19 when abducted and spent two birthdays in captivity. Edan was the last living American citizen still believed to be held hostage by Hamas. The terror group is believed to also be holding the bodies of four dead American hostages, according to U.S. officials. His father Adi told ABC News that Edan was "held in a facility" consisting of "a very dark and narrow room" with steel construction rebar. "You can call it the cage if you think about it," he said. News of a possible release broke on May 11, Mothers Day, but Adi nearly missed it. When he finally glanced at his phone he said he noticed eight missed phone calls from Steve Witkoff -- President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy -- who was involved in direct negotiations with Hamas. "My phone was on silent and I was working with the blower outside and it was too noisy," he recalled. "I saw those eight missed calls and called them back immediately," Adi continued, saying Witkoff then told him and Yael that within 10 minutes they would be hearing good news. MORE: American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander freed from Hamas captivity, in IDF custody Fifty-seven hostages remain in Gaza, including over 20 who are believed to be alive, according to Israeli officials. The IDF has now launched a new expanded operation in Gaza which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said is intended to both free the remaining hostages and conclusively defeat Hamas in the strip. The families of remaining hostages, though, have criticized the new operation, saying it puts surviving captives in danger. While the IDF pressed its new offensive, Netanyahu said Israel would simultaneously allow the resumption of a "basic" level of humanitarian aid to Gaza after a 10-week freeze, citing pressure from the U.S. as a key driver in the decision. Family of Hamas hostage Edan Alexander recalls dramatic Gaza release originally appeared on
