Captive’s father says deaths of 6 Israeli hostages ‘never had to happen’

Father of Israeli-American still believed to be in Hamas captivity in Gaza Strip says: murder of six hostages “never had to happen.” The Israeli military announced Saturday that it had found six bodies in a tunnel under the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Adi Alexander’s 20-year-old son, Edan Alexander, was kidnapped by Hamas in a deadly attack on October 7. Adi said he was at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington in July.

Adi told CBS Mornings on Monday that he asked Netanyahu at the time about a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

“He was committed to the deal, so here we are a month later with six dead hostages — that never needed to happen. He’s prolonging the war for short-term political reasons,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”

Thousands of Israelis protested in the streets and members of the largest trade union in the country went on strike After receiving news of the death of the hostages, a call was made for a ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages.

Adi is one of the hostage relatives who has met more than a dozen times with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about U.S. efforts to reach a deal. He said he spoke with Sullivan by phone Sunday and said a new proposal was being prepared to present to Hamas and the Israelis.

Adi called this proposal “now or never.”

“I hope they take it seriously and say, ‘Yes, let’s go,'” he said.

Adi and his wife Yael said the news that the hostages had been killed was devastating to them.

Yael remembered Rachel Goldberg-Polin — her mother Hersh Goldberg-Polinwho was one of the captives killed — telling her and other hostage families that “hope is mandatory” for the past 11 months. But now, she says, she struggles for the words to express how they feel.

“I don’t want to say I’m hopeless, but it was a difficult moment for all of us,” she said on “CBS Mornings.”

Adi said they know their son is a “tough kid.” Edan is from New Jersey and volunteered for the IDF after high school. He was stationed near the Gaza border when he was taken hostage.

“We hope he’s holding up and we’ll come get him,” Adi said. “He has to survive.”

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