Seven families of Israeli hostages are pleading with Donald Trump to demand the return of their relatives that Hamas has imprisoned in Gaza for over a year.
“Impose the simple and straight logic to bring them back home and turn their darkness into light and freedom,” they wrote in a letter to the president-elect on Tuesday.
The signatories specifically ask Trump to call Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and “demand an end to these games,” referring to the stalled hostage deals that have yet to free some 100 captives remaining in Gaza.
“We need a simple American deal with Hamas left in its shadow: Hamas must immediately announce the release of all the living and dead hostages without any conditions and surrender, or all Hamas leaders be immediately deported from the country and will no longer be safe anywhere in the world,” the families said.
“This is how the war with a terrorist organization in Gaza should end. This is how your term in the White House should begin. It should be with the rehabilitation of Gaza by Qatar and the Gulf states alongside ensuring the security of the citizens of Israel and the return of our loved one’s home.”
The letter’s release came one day after Trump warned there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas doesn’t release the rest of the hostages by Inauguration Day next month. During his 2024 campaign, the former and future president vowed to end the conflict in Gaza that has grown to involve Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel waged the war against Hamas after the Palestinian terror group massacred nearly 2,000 people and abducted over 250 individuals, including seven Americans.
Israeli-U.S. soldier Omer Neutra was one of the latest fatalities confirmed by the Israeli military. Hamas terrorists killed Neutra during the October 7 attack and last year and have kept his body ever since.
Meanwhile, Edan Alexander is believed to be alive after Hamas released a propaganda video showing him addressing coerced messages to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump.
In September, the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who were executed by Hamas in a Gaza tunnel shortly before Israeli troops arrived.
Those who signed Tuesday’s letter are Hoshea Haggai, brother of Gadi Haggai and brother-in-law of Judih Weinstein Haggai; Doris Liber, mother of Guy Iluz; Ziv Abud, spouse of Eliya Cohen; Talia and Liran Berman, mother and brother of twins Ziv and Gail Berman; Simona and Dor Steinbrecher, mother and brother of Doron Steinbrecher; Amanda Damari, mother of Emily Damari; and Lishay Lavi, wife of Omri Miran.
Of the nine hostages listed, six are believed to still be alive and three were murdered in captivity.
Liber expressed her grief in an interview with National Review last November when she visited Capitol Hill to plead for the release of her son and only child. At the time, she didn’t know if he was alive. Iluz’s death was announced December 1, 2023.
“Symbolically, this year Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same day,” the letter addressed to Trump states. “We look forward to the miracle of Christmas and the miracle of Hanukkah for us and implore you to ensure we see light for our loved ones.”