Families of Americans captured by Hamas urge accelerated negotiations

The families of the seven Americans who were captured by Hamas, Oct. 7, 2023, and held in Gaza urged President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accelerate negotiations with Hamas and compromise to free their relatives. They spoke at the National Press Club on Sept. 18.

Last month the families met with Biden and Netanyahu.The families are urging the US government to rethink how pressure can be applied to both sides through intermediaries such as international community to bring back their families home. However they are still waiting for the ceasefire deal that will end the war and bring their families home.

Club President Emily Wikins said talks to negotiate a cease fire and the release have dragged on for months and that earlier this month Hamas announced the hostages will return in coffins if Israeli troops remain in Gaza. 

“These hostages, husbands, wives, parent’s children, they all hold American, passports, They were among 250 people captured by Hamas fighters in Israel, on Oct. 7th and forcibly abducted, to Gaza. About 110 hostages remain in Gaza and Israeli authorities believe as many as one-third could be dead,” she said.

 Aviva Siegel, a former hostage released in November and wife of hostage Keith Siegel, travels between the U.S. and Israel sharing her experiences in captivity. 

“I am here because I was a hostage and I know what they are going through. The six hostages  came home in conditions that aren’t acceptable. I was there in the same kind of tunnels. I was there; I lost ten kilos,” she said.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui Dekel-Cjem. 35, a husband, father of three, and a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the situation is urgent. 

Chen said, “Our greatest fear is that our loved ones...have already been murdered [and] will never come home.”

Iris Liniado is the daughter of murdered American hostages Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai. They were killed by Hamas while on a morning walk on Oct. 7, and their bodies are being held hostage in Gaza. She said that they are holding her parents as bargaining chips in Gaza.

Liniado emphasized,” My family is on pause since October 7. We don’t have any closure. All we have is intelligence about what happened to them. I have an eight-year-old child. She keeps asking, "Mommy, but if they died where is their grave?”

Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, 19, an American member of the IDF who was serving on the border of Gaza on Oct. 7. learned on March 12 that Itay was killed on Oct. 7. His body remains in Gaza.

“The U.S needs to stop being a facilitator and act as its citizens are being held by this ruthless terrorist organization and create path with all of its power at its disposal to release its citizens at danger,” he said.