Former First Lady Melania Trump marked the beginning of the Jewish High Holiday of Rosh Hashanah with a message of support for the captives held by Hamas after last year’s Oct. 7 attacks. “My thoughts are with those enduring the suffering of captivity. It is hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since the tragic events in Israel, where innocent lives have been destroyed,” Trump said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The former First Lady said the holiday should “inspire us to defend human dignity and commit to the safe return of every hostage. Together, we must strive for a world grounded in compassion, empathy, and tolerance – free from terrorism.” Roughly 1,200 Israeli citizens were killed on Oct. 7, and another 250 were taken captive by the Islamist militant group. Meanwhile, over 40,000 Palestinians have died during the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza, the Associated Press reported in August citing the Gaza Health Ministry. The message comes after days of escalating tensions in the region, following Israeli air strikes and a ground invasion against Hezbollah in Lebanon and retaliatory missile strikes from Iran targeting Tel Aviv and other locations in Israel.
