• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Editor's Pick

Parents of Hamas hostages urge Trump to be ‘tough with enemies and friends’ amid Israeli siege in Gaza

by May 1, 2025
written by May 1, 2025

The parents of the American hostages still held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza have called on President Donald Trump to use his reputation for being ‘tough’ and apply pressure on not only known enemies but one of his closest allies: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity.

Itay Chen, 19, Omer Neutra, 21, Judy Weinstein Haggai, 70, and her husband, Gadi Weinstein, 73, are all believed to have been killed by Hamas in it’s attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and whose bodies were taken into Gaza.

‘I believe that the president is a very tough person, and he should be tough with the enemies and with friends as well,’ Adi Alexander, who is Edan’s father, told Fox News Digital in a direct reference to Israel.

‘We asked of the president to keep everybody accountable,’ Alexander, who sat next to his wife, Yael, described after the second phase of a ceasefire, which was supposed to begin in March but failed and Israel resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip to the immense frustration of mediators. 

In addition, the families urged Trump to keep Netanyahu ‘on a short leash’ and to ‘get him back to negotiate as soon as possible and stop this thing.’

Trump this week marked his 100th day in office, and the families of the five Americans still held hostage urged him to reflect on his strategy and apply pressure on both Israel and Hamas, through both economic and diplomatic means, to secure the release of all 59 hostages.

‘With the election results, we had such high hopes,’ Ruby Chen, father to Itay, told reporters during a press event on Wednesday. ‘We know he cares about the topic, and we saw, even before the inauguration, his comments on the topic with the ‘hell to pay’ and ‘all the hostages need to come out.’’

‘But I think the 100-day mark that we are at this moment, I think it’s a good time to reflect and say that the job’s not done,’ said Chen, sitting next to his wife, Hagit Chen.

Trump sparked international concern in February when he suggested the Gaza Strip should be turned into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East,’ and fears have mounted that as Washington continues to discuss potentially displacing Palestinians and Israel continues aggressive military operations, Hamas may be unwilling to give up its leverage: the hostages. 

Calls within the Gaza Strip are increasing from Palestinians to return all the hostages so a day-after plan can be discussed as Palestinian civilians continue to feel the consequences of the brutal war.

‘It’s easy rhetoric to say that Hamas won’t hold their side of the deal,’ Orna Neutra, mother to Omer, told reporters. ‘If they don’t hold their side of the deal, then [Netanyahu] can return to hostilities. 

‘But let’s allow them to release all hostages and see if that happens or not instead of just saying they won’t do it,’ she added, noting it could be another leveraging point for the Trump administration.

The families of the hostages are careful not to get overly involved in the heated political topics, but instead they have highlighted the importance of and need for a solid strategy to first secure the release of all remaining hostages, and then figure out a day-after plan. 

Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has suggested that Hamas could become politically active in the Gaza Strip, but they need to fully disarm.

‘I think the best approach will be just to call for both parties to rise above politics, although it will be very difficult with Hamas, which is politically struggling to survive in this region, but definitely to call on [the] Israeli government to rise above politics,’ Alexander said. ‘Do not think about politically surviving and prioritize human life.’

The families pointed to polling from Israel that shows nearly 70% of Israelis favor ending military operations against Hamas in order to return all the hostages more than 573 days since they were abducted, including some 48% of Netanyahu’s coalition base. Some 39% of his conservative base apparently oppose the strategy, and another 13% are unsure.

While there is evident frustration among the families of the hostages, who have made clear the Israeli government has not offered anywhere near the same level of support or communication provided by both the Biden and Trump administrations, they said that, ultimately, the adversary is the terrorist organization that captured, in some instances killed, and continues to hold captive their loved ones. 

‘Just to be clear, Hamas is the enemy,’ said Neutra, who sat next to her husband, Ronen. ‘Hamas committed these atrocious crimes. They’re holding on to our family members. We don’t want to see them continue to be a threat to Israel.

‘But it’s about priority, and it’s about being in the situation for 19 months now,’ she added. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Trump-Bezos call sets stage for tense earnings report from Amazon
next post
When it comes to ID, it’s time to get REAL

related articles

23andMe bankruptcy prompts Cornyn-Grassley-Klobuchar bipartisan bill to protect...

May 22, 2025

GOP holdouts sound alarm on $36T debt crisis...

May 22, 2025

White House shuts down reporter’s ‘ridiculous’ challenge of...

May 22, 2025

Antisemitic shooting of Israeli diplomats adds to alarming...

May 22, 2025

Trump has not directed administration to declassify Biden...

May 22, 2025

White House decries ‘evil of antisemitism,’ vows justice...

May 22, 2025

Trump has not directed admin to declassify Biden...

May 22, 2025

House GOP leadership takes victory lap after passing...

May 22, 2025

House GOP leadership takes victory lap after passing...

May 22, 2025

Republicans look to stop China’s ‘backdoor’ tariff dodging...

May 22, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • RFK Jr says Trump move is something no other president’s done before

    October 27, 2024
  • Moderate who unseated ‘Squad’ member Jamaal Bowman says Dem voters want a pro-Israel party

    August 21, 2024
  • U.S. Steel CEO appeals to Trump after Biden blocks deal with Japanese firm

    January 8, 2025
  • Trump’s tax hike proposal is ‘déjà vu’ of George H. W. Bush’s ‘read my lips’ moment, experts say

    May 9, 2025
  • What are election betting odds? Expert explains why Trump is current favorite

    October 22, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 3

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 4

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (4,641)
  • Investing (624)
  • Stock (762)

Latest Posts

  • JD Vance champions ‘roadmap’ toward US-India trade deal, says partnership critical to deterring ‘dark time’

    April 22, 2025
  • Boeing delivered 30 airplanes in December, but gap with Airbus widened in 2024

    January 14, 2025
  • Gold and Silver: Gold encounters resistance at $2375 level

    July 10, 2024

Recent Posts

  • CTNT Stock Alert: Must-Know Details on Cheetah Net Supply

    August 16, 2024
  • Trump escalates plans to acquire Greenland after resident pleads: ‘Denmark’s using us’

    January 7, 2025
  • ApeCoin and Akita Inu: ApeCoin dropped to 0.570 on Monday

    August 13, 2024

Editor’s Pick

  • OpenAI embraces for-profit model to chase AI dreams

    December 27, 2024
  • Biden, Trump both rip DOJ after president pardons Hunter

    December 3, 2024
  • Fisker (FSR) Stock: Struggles, Surprises, and the Road Ahead

    September 2, 2024
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock