It is just as important to return the slain hostages home as those who are living, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
"Their parents come to me and say, please, sir, could you get my son back?" Trump said, adding he asked, "How old is he?" with the response being, "Sir, my son is dead."
"It's just as important as if that son was alive to get the body back," Trump said.
"We will not rest until all of the hostages have been returned back home. Some of them are coming home in very bad condition, and some of them are coming home only as bodies," Trump affirmed.
Trump said that he had seen the six hostages return from Hamas captivity to Israel.
During his address, Trump also criticized former US president Joe Biden and his conduct in working to bring back the Israeli hostages that were kidnapped to Hamas captivity during the October 7 attacks in 2023.
"I saw this morning that we got six more [hostages] back," Trump said.
He then said, "Biden got none back [hostages], by the way, just so you understand. None. Zero,"
"He would have never gotten any of them back," Trump added.
Hostage-ceasefire deal
Trump's remarks come after six hostages were released from Hamas captivity Saturday, as Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen returned to Israel after 505 days, and Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed returned after being held by Hamas since 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Mengistu and Shoham were released in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, while Shem Tov, Wenkert, and Cohen were released from the Nuseirat refugee camp shortly after. Al-Sayed was then released from captivity in Gaza City.
This marks the first time in the deal that hostages were released in Nuseirat and in Rafah.
Saturday's transfer was the seventh wave of releases in the hostage deal.
TRUMP: BIDEN GOT ZERO ISRAELI HOSTAGES BACK“Even though the hostages are coming back, I saw it this morning, where we got 6 more back. Biden got none back, by the way, 0…”@CPAC pic.twitter.com/bJZXLWAeY3 https://t.co/3GGCv4njSh
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) February 22, 2025
Gadi Zaig contributed to this report.