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A successful drone strike in Gaza prompted messages to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump, courtesy of an American-Israeli hostage.

In little more than three weeks, the captivity of the more than 100 remaining hostages held by Hamas, including seven American citizens, could surpass the duration of the Iran hostage crisis.

Saturday, their precarious fate was made all the more apparent as the terrorists released a video of New Jersey native Edan Alexander denouncing the mistake of President Joe Biden while calling on Netanyahu and Trump to act.

Titled, “Soon…Time Is Running Out,” the video posted on the social media platform Telegram featured the 20-year-old soldier who’d been taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, speaking in darkness between clips of him breaking down as 420 days of captivity were surpassed.

“I heard you speaking to the people of Israel on the news, and I am very disappointed. I heard that you will give $5 million to whoever brings us back alive. The prime minister is supposed to protect his citizens and soldiers, and you neglected us,” Alexander said in what was readily described as a coerced message to Netanyahu in Hebrew.

“The fear is at its peak, and we are dying a thousand times every day that passes, and no one feels for us. The people of Israel: Do not neglect us. We want to return home with a full mind,” the hostage continued. “Fear and isolation are killing us. Please do not forget us. It is unreasonable that we pay the price for a mistake made by the government. Please, people of Israel, go out to demonstrate every day and pressure the government. It is time to put an end to this nightmare.”

Shifting to English, Alexander turned to Trump as he expressed, “Please use your influence and the full power of the United States to negotiate for our freedom.”

“Every day here feels like an eternity, and the pain from inside grows from day to day,” he added.

“Please do not make the mistake Biden has been doing. The weapons he has sent are now killing us, and the unlawful sieges are now starving us. I don’t want to end up dead like my fellow U.S.A. citizen Hersh [Goldberg-Polin].”

Reacting to the “disturbing video,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced that the hostage’s father, Adi Alexander, would be speaking at a march in New York City Sunday along with Long Island native and hostage Omer Neutra’s parents, Orna and Ronen Neutra.

“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 bring home all 101 hostages cannot be overstated,” the group said while sharing the video.

The video release followed Israel Defense Forces’ confirmation of the killing of Oct. 7 terrorist Ahed Qadih via drone strike Saturday who, according to the Times of Israel, had been employed by celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen aid organization, which itself had previously lost seven volunteers to a drone strike from the IDF.

A statement from the White House read, “The hostage video released today of American-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander is a cruel reminder of Hamas’s terror against citizens of multiple countries, including our own.”

“We have been in touch with Edan’s family. The war in Gaza would stop tomorrow and the suffering of Gazans would end immediately — and would have ended months ago — if Hamas agreed to release the hostages,” it continued. “It has refused to do so, but as the President 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. This deal is on the table now.”

“President Biden and the United States will continue to work around the clock to secure the release of our citizens including through diplomatic efforts and by increasing pressure on Hamas terrorists through sanctions, law enforcement and other measures,” added the statement, revealing that the federal government had yet to exhaust every non-violent avenue to rescue the Americans. “On behalf of the Alexanders and all the families of the hostages still being held by Hamas, we will never cease in our efforts to secure their immediate release.”

Meanwhile, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R), Trump’s nominee for the United States ambassador to the United Nations, maintained a daily reminder of the hostage situation as she posted on X Saturday, “Day 420. It has been 420 days since Hamas terrorists abducted innocent civilians during the barbaric October 7th attack in Israel. There are over 100 still being held hostage in Gaza including SEVEN Americans. We MUST bring them home now.”

Kevin Haggerty
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