[Craig Nigrelli]

THE ISRAELI MILITARY SAID ON MONDAY THAT AN AMERICAN-ISRAELI CITIZEN IS DEAD IN GAZA AND HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. THE IDF SAYS OMER MAXIM NEUTRA OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL IN OCTOBER OF 2023.
tHE ISRAELIS AND HIS FAMILY HAD PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED NEUTRA WAS ALIVE AND WAS BEING HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA. INSTEAD, THE ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS NEUTRA “ FELL IN A HEROIC BATTLE ON OCTOBER 7TH. “
THE 21-YEAR-OLD WAS A TANK PLATOON COMMANDER IN THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES. THE IDF SAYS HAMAS IS STILL HOLDING HIS BODY HOSTAGE.
THE IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP HAMAS NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 100 HOSTAGES INSIDE GAZA, ROUGHLY ONE-THIRD ARE BELIEVED DEAD.
NEUTRA WAS ONE OF SEVEN AMERICANS HELD CAPTIVE IN GAZA SINCE THE TERROR ATTACK IN 2023, FOUR ARE CONFIRMED DEAD.
THIS LATEST NEWS COMES AFTER, HAMAS, RELEASED A PROPAGANDA VIDEO ON SATURDAY OF AN ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE,
IT SHOWS 20-YEAR-OLD EDAN ALEXANDER. HAMAS SAYS IT HAS HELD HIM CAPTIVE FOR 420 DAYS. THE VIDEO WAS POSSIBLY TAKEN IN THE PAST WEEK.
IN THE VIDEO, ALEXANDER SPEAKS IN BOTH HEBREW AND ENGLISH TO ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING QUOTE “ YOU HAVE NEGLECTED US”, AND TO PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP, URGING TRUMP TO USE HIS “INFLUENCE AND THE FULL POWER OF THE UNITED STATES TO NEGOTIATE OUR FREEDOM. “
ALEXANDER GREW UP IN NEW JERSEY AND WAS A SOLIDER IN THE ISRAELI MILITARY WHEN HAMAS ATTACKED ON OCTOBER 7TH. HE WAS ABLE TO GET A MESSAGE TO HIS FAMILY THAT HE SURVIVED BUT THINGS WERE DANGEROUS. AFTER THAT, THEY LOST CONTACT WITH HIM.
ALEXANDER’S MOTHER HAS NOW RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING HER SON REPRESENTS ALL LIVING HOSTAGES AND HIS VOICE NEEDS TO “REVERBERATE AND SHAKE EVERYONE. “
SPEAKING ON NBC’S MEET THE PRESS ON SUNDAY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN HAD THIS MESSAGE FOR THE FAMILIES.

[JAKE SULLIVAN/NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER :” PRESIDENT BIDEN PLEDGED COMING OFF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CEASE FIRE WITH LEBANON,THAT WE WOULD BE WORKING AROUND THE CLOck TO PRODUCE A CEASE FIRE AND HOSTAGE DEAL IN GAZA. WE ARE WORKING TO DO THAT, I CAN’T MAKE YOU ANY PREDICTIONS. “]

SULLIVAN BELIEVES HAMAS IS NOW FEELING THE PRESSURE TO MAKE A CEASE FIRE DEAL AFTER HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL REACHED A SIMILIAR DEAL LAST WEEK.
AS FOR EDAN ALEXANDER, SOME FORMER HOSTAGES, FREED LAST YEAR, SAY THEY **HAD SEEN HIM** IN CAPTIVITY.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU HAS SPOKEN WITH ALEXANDER’S FAMILY CALLING THE RELEASE OF THE VIDEO, BRUTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE.