The parents of Omer Neutra and Edan Alexander, who have US citizenship and are being held by Hamas in Gaza, met on Thursday with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“It's day 552. We're coming out of the Pentagon from a meeting with the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. He assured us that the United States is doing everything possible to release the hostages, all 59 of them. We're looking forward to good news soon,” they said after the meeting.
Neutra, who was born in New York and immigrated to Israel where he served as a lone soldier, was kidnapped to Gaza on October 7, 2023 and was declared a fallen IDF soldier in December of 2024.
Alexander, also a lone soldier, is the last hostage with US citizenship to still be alive.
The meeting came after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with families of hostages and stated that a deal to free their loved ones could be "days" away.
Witkoff said that “a very serious deal on the table," adding that "it’s a matter of days."
President Donald Trump later commented on the situation of the hostages and said, "There are 59 hostages. There is progress, we are getting closer to their return. We are dealing with Israel and also with Hamas, who are a group of bad people."
On Wednesday, US Vice President JD Vance met with Hamas captivity survivors and families of hostages still held in Gaza.
During the meeting, he reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to securing the release of all 59 remaining hostages and emphasized the United States’ ongoing engagement on the issue.
“We remain hopeful,” said Vice President Vance, acknowledging the families’ pain and the urgency of bringing every hostage home.
The families and survivors expressed their deep gratitude to President Trump, Vice President Vance, and the US administration for their tireless efforts in bringing many hostages home. Their leadership has delivered meaningful results—and the families urged them to continue until all 59 remaining hostages are safely returned.