From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Edan Alexander and family of slain hostage Omer Neutra meet with Trump at White House
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe family of slain hostage Omer Neutra met with US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier today, along with released hostage Edan Alexander and his family, amid the ongoing negotiations in Egypt on the president’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, says they spoke to Trump as representatives of the “28 bereaved families who are among the 40 total hostage families.”
“We reminded him how important it is that the deceased are also returned for burial,” says Neutra.
Omer Neutra, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was killed and his body taken to Gaza from a tank stationed on the Gaza border on October 7, 2023.
Both Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have, in recent weeks, referred to only the 20 living hostages in their pledges to secure their freedom, without mention of the deceased.
Regarding the ongoing negotiations in Egypt and the chance for a deal to free the hostages and end the war in Gaza, Neutra says he believes Trump is “hopeful, but he said we should ‘wait and see what happens in the coming days.'”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publishes a photo of the meeting on X.
On the 2nd anniversary of October 7th, President Trump met with Edan Alexander and his family, and the family of Omer Neutra, whose body is still in Gaza. ???? pic.twitter.com/jFw2nVVQax
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) October 7, 2025
The Times of Israel Community.