The father of an Israeli-American believed to be still in Hamas captivity in Gaza said: murders of six hostages “This should never have happened,” the Israeli army announced on Saturday, after finding the six bodies in a tunnel under the town of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Adi Alexander’s son, Edan Alexander, 20, was abducted by Hamas in the deadly October 7 attack. Adi said he was in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, DC, in July.
Adi told “CBS Mornings” on Monday that he then asked Netanyahu if he could reach an agreement on a cease-fire and the release of the hostages.
“He committed to the agreement, and now, a month later, we have six hostages killed. This should never have happened. He is prolonging the war for short-term political reasons,” he said. “This is unacceptable.”
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in the streets and Members of the country’s largest union have gone on strike Following the announcement of the death of the hostages, call for a ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages.
Adi is among the hostage relatives who have met more than a dozen times with national security adviser Jake Sullivan about U.S. efforts to reach a deal. He said he had a call with Sullivan on Sunday and that a new proposal was being developed and would be presented to Hamas and the Israelis.
Adi called the proposal a “now or never” proposition.
“I hope they take this seriously and say, ‘Yes, let’s do it,'” he said.
Adi and his wife, Yael, said they were devastated to learn of the hostages’ killings.
Yael remembers Rachel Goldberg-Polin — Yael’s mother Hersh Goldberg-Polinwho was one of the captives killed, told her and other hostage families that “hope is essential” over the past 11 months. But today, she says she struggles to find the words to express what they are feeling.
“I don’t want to say it was hopeless, but it was a difficult time for all of us,” she said on “CBS Mornings.”
Adi said they knew their son was “a tough kid.” Edan is from New Jersey and volunteered for service in the Israeli army after high school. He was stationed near the Gaza border when he was taken hostage.
“We hope he holds up and we’re going to get him,” Adi said. “He has to survive.”
