The spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House reacted to a propaganda video released by the extremist group Hamas featuring an American-Israeli hostage, calling the action a "brutal reminder of Hamas's terrorism against citizens of several countries." Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, released a video on Saturday, December 1, showing 20-year-old American-Israeli Idan Alexander asking U.S. and Israeli officials to reach an agreement for his release. Given that this kidnapped Israeli citizen mentioned in the video that he is speaking on a day that marks 420 days since the war began, Israeli media reported that the video was taken from him on Friday, December 9. In the video, he stated that the kidnappers told him and other hostages that they have orders to "eliminate" the hostages if they hear the sound of approaching Israeli soldiers near their hiding place. Idan Alexander, an Israeli army soldier, was taken hostage by Palestinian militants on October 7 of last year and brought to Gaza. Sean South, spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated that the Biden administration is in contact with the family of the hostage, saying, "If Hamas agrees to release the hostages, the war in Gaza will stop tomorrow and the suffering in Gaza will end immediately; it could have ended months ago." He added that this agreement is still on the table and Washington will continue its relentless efforts to secure the release of American citizens. According to Reuters, in the three-and-a-half-minute video released by the extremist group Hamas, the hostage directly addresses Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel. Donald Trump's transition team has not yet responded to this news, and Benjamin Netanyahu described the release of this video as a "brutal war" and stated in a statement that he spoke with the family of the hostage over the phone. Yael Alexander, the mother of the hostage, expressed her shock upon seeing the video during a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. Palestinian militants killed nearly 1,200 people and took around 240 hostages during their raid into southern Israel on October 7 of last year. In response, Israel launched military operations across the Gaza Strip, which, according to officials under Hamas, have left over 44,000 dead so far.
Washington: Hamas's New Video of an American Hostage Reminds of the Group's Terrorism
The White House condemned a new video from Hamas featuring an American-Israeli hostage, Idan Alexander, who pleads for his release. The Biden administration is in contact with the hostage's family and suggests that a deal could end the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This situation highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the complexities of U.S.-Middle East relations.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Hamas released a video of American-Israeli hostage Idan Alexander pleading for his release, highlighting the ongoing hostage crisis. The U.S. and Israel have condemned the video, emphasizing the brutality of Hamas's actions.
- The video was released on December 1 and features Idan Alexander, a hostage since October 7 of last year.
- The Biden administration is in contact with the hostage's family and suggests a deal could end the conflict.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Hamas is a Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip and has been in conflict with Israel for decades. The U.S. and EU classify it as a terrorist organization.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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