Families of hostages held in Gaza met on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as part of their continued efforts to urge the administration to take all possible steps toward securing a comprehensive agreement that brings all 50 hostages home.
The families described the daily torment of not knowing the fate of their loved ones and the unbearable fear that time is running out. They stressed the urgency of bold leadership to seize what may be a closing window of opportunity.
Rubio told the families: “I reaffirm my unwavering commitment — 100% — to achieving a hostage deal that brings every hostage home and ends the fighting.”
Participants included Hamas captivity survivors Keith and Aviva Siegel; Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran; Liran Berman, brother of hostages Gali and Ziv Berman; Anat and Hagai Angrest, parents of Matan Angrest; Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of hostage Omer Neutra; and Ruby and Hagit Chen, parents of hostage Itay Chen.
“We are deeply grateful to Secretary Rubio for taking the time to meet with us and for his unwavering commitment to our loved ones,” the families said.
“We trust that President Trump and his administration will do everything in their power to ensure this deal does not collapse and that this pressing opportunity is not lost. We believe the President and his team are fully committed to securing an agreement that brings all the hostages home.”
“In such a sensitive and decisive moment, we feel compelled to remind all parties of the cost of failure: the tragedy of August 2024, when six hostages were brutally murdered after negotiations collapsed. That devastating loss must never be repeated,” the families stated.
“This is a critical moment. The deal must be finalized and it must bring every single one of them home.” they warned.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)