Mother of captive soldier Tamir Nimrodi stunned after Trump claims: Only 21 Israeli hostages alive

Last Thursday, Trump spoke at the White House Rose Garden, telling the parents of captive soldier Edan Alexander, present in the audience, “We don’t really know how he’s doing.” He added that, despite the official count of 24 living hostages, he believes the actual number is lower, a fact families learned through an offhand comment by Sara Netanyahu at a meeting with torch-lighters.

Last night, Trump stated, “There are 21 hostages alive: last week it was 24, but now only 21 are alive,” while Israel officially lists 24 of the 59 hostages in Gaza as alive.

Without specifying his source, Trump added, “These are young people, and young people don’t die. Old people die, but young people don’t die in such conditions.” The reliability of his statement is unclear, and Israel has no official confirmation. He made the remarks during the official appointment of Steve Witkoff as Middle East envoy, noting he won’t stop in Israel during his upcoming regional visit: “I’ll visit there at some point, but not this time.”

“Out of 59, only 21 are alive now: three died,” Trump claimed. “It’s a terrible reality. We’re trying to get the hostages out. We’ve gotten many out, but as they say, it’s 21 plus many bodies. Parents have approached me multiple times, but one couple in particular, two weeks ago. They said, ‘Please, sir. Our son is dead. Just bring us his body.’ They wanted the body. They know he’s dead, but they wanted his body, just as they’d want him if he were alive. It’s a very sad thing.”

Cherut Nimrodi's son, soldier Tamir was kidnapped barefoot and in pajamas from the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Base, alongside his comrades Ron Sherman and Nik Beizer, who were later confirmed killed in an IDF airstrike and returned for burial in Israel.

Since then, she has received no proof of life from him.

She said, "It’s possible things are being hidden from us, that not everything is being said. But Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon and Gal Hirsch claim no information is withheld from the families. [But] Trump said so confidently that three ‘were killed,’ and it’s unclear where he’s getting this information or what exactly was told to him. This is undoubtedly worrying; it’s mixed messages. On one hand, we’re told ‘24 are known to be alive,’ and we hold onto that number, but then various external and internal sources talk about fewer.”

Nimrodi expressed deep concern that no sign of life has been received from Tamir since the abduction footage, showing him crossing the border with terrorists and being loaded onto a jeep toward Gaza. “We know their goal in the abduction was to keep them alive to use as bargaining chips, so we want to believe they’re being treated well,” she said. “But after a year and a half without any sign, there’s serious concern for his life, and we’re worried. I assume we’re also being viewed in the context of the ‘fewer,’ fewer than 24.”

Addressing Sara Netanyahu’s comment, Nimrodi said, “It’s not that she knows more than the families; she just wanted to show she’s in the loop. Unfortunately, she did so in a very inappropriate, offhand way about our children. Deep down, I feel we’re being treated as one of the few families with no signs of life about their loved ones. I don’t know what happened in Gaza; we haven’t been informed of any specific incident affecting a hostage, but as the fighting intensifies, the worry grows for those signs of life that existed and may no longer be relevant.”

“If President Trump is receiving information hidden from the families, it certainly shows some disregard and lack of trust between the hostages’ administration led by Gal Hirsch and the families,” Nimrodi added. “But we’re used to Trump making statements that aren’t fully verified, so I’m trying to hold onto that. Because it’s not that three were killed; I think there’s uncertainty about three.”

She added, "I shouldn’t have to hear from a president, certainly not on a media platform, that one of the children might not be alive. When I woke up, Trump’s statement was the first thing I saw, and I was very shocked ... We’re very concerned about the resumption of fighting. I won’t say we were very surprised by the decision, as we see the disconnect between the political echelon and the people. It might be a tactical attempt to pressure Hamas into a quicker deal and rethink its approach. But it obviously worries us—the risk to the hostages in such a move, and to the soldiers, regulars, and reservists, returning for yet another round. We’re all asking, what’s the real goal? Destroying Hamas seems unrealistic. No doubt it shouldn’t rule Gaza, but there’s an emergency to free the hostages. There’s an immediate danger of losing the fallen and the living.”

Yehuda, father of captive soldier Nimrod Cohen, responded to Trump’s remarks, saying, “The fact that the U.S. President casually cites numbers of Israeli hostages only highlights another aspect of their abandonment by the Netanyahu government. Sensitive information is circulating globally, and anyone can toss out numbers as if they’re commodities. A country that allows a prime minister driven by personal, egocentric motives ends up with abducted citizens and soldiers, where anyone can bet on the number of living or dead. An open market at the expense of the hostages’ families and their feelings. Netanyahu just sits and calculates his profits from this.”

Gal Hirsch, Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, wrote on X last night: “Hamas currently holds 59 hostages. 24 are listed as alive. 35 are listed as deceased, their deaths officially confirmed. 54 are Israeli citizens. Five are foreign nationals. The hostages’ administration maintains ongoing contact with all families and is available for updates.”

Ynet contributed to this article.