‘Hopeful’: Donald Trump meets family of hostage, slain IDF soldier amid Gaza peace talks; reaffirms commitment to their return

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met at the White House with released hostage Edan Alexander and his family, as well as the family of slain IDF member Omer Neutra, amid ongoing negotiations in Egypt over his plan to end the war in Gaza.Alexander, who was held by Hamas for 584 days, and Neutra’s family were received in the Oval Office, where the White House reiterated that Trump remains committed to securing the release of all hostages.“Today, on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, President Trump welcomed Edan Alexander, who was held hostage by Hamas for 584 days, and the family of Omer Neutra to the Oval Office. President Trump is committed to bringing every hostage home,” the White House said through a post on X.Speaking to the press after the meeting, Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, said they spoke with Trump on behalf 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,” Neutra added.Regarding the ongoing negotiations in Egypt and the prospects of a deal to free hostages and end the war in Gaza, Neutra said he believes Trump is “hopeful, but he said we should ‘wait and see what happens in the coming days.’”In recent weeks, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have emphasized efforts to free the 20 living hostages, making no reference to the deceased.Meanwhile, the first day of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt ended on a “positive” note, with hopes rising for a deal under Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. Talks are set to continue on Tuesday.The Hamas delegation, including leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, two negotiators who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha last month that killed five people, is taking part in talks in Sharm el-Sheikh.The discussions are mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with senior officials from the US, Qatar, and Turkey also participating. The American delegation includes US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to White House officials.On the first day, the talks focused on a proposed prisoner and captive exchange, a ceasefire, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as cited by Al Jazeera. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is advocating for an early exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners to generate “momentum” for implementing other elements of his plan to end the Gaza war. “The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” and that teams were “going over the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released,” Leavitt was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.