On Tuesday, for the first time, a meeting was held between the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and a delegation of families of the hostages currently visiting Portugal, organized by the Israeli Embassy in Portugal.
The meeting was attended by representatives of seven families who told the President about each hostage's personal story and the cruel circumstances of their abduction.
Throughout the meeting, the President emphasized to the families that it was important for him to meet them and hear their stories first-hand, with all the pain they are experiencing, and even promised Portugal would exert the necessary pressure and leverage its connections to secure the release of all the hostages.
Israeli Ambassador to Portugal, Dor Shapira, who attended the meeting, said, "The effort to return the hostages transcends borders and is international. There are also several hostages with a connection to Portugal, so we must exert pressure that all the hostages can return home quickly."
As part of the hostage families' delegation visit, there were meetings with parliament members and senior diplomats, in addition to events held with the Israeli communities in Porto and Lisbon.