By Julie Rayman
American Jewish Committee
(Photo: AJC)
WASHINGTON, D.C — After 477 days of agony in Gaza, Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, and Karina Ariev were returned on Saturday to Israeli soil and to the loving arms of their family and friends. This momentous return builds on the good news of the return last week of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher.
Welcome home Naama, Karina, Liri, and Daniella! We—together with people from around the world—have prayed for your safe return.
As the first phase of the hostage agreement continues, the release of four more hostages evokes deep emotions. I feel profound joy and relief from witnessing these beautiful reunions, but I also feel acute sadness and anger knowing that so many of our brothers and sisters are still being held by Hamas terrorists in unspeakable and inhumane conditions and that more have been murdered in Gaza by the Iran-backed terror group.
Today only serves to underscore how crucial it is that we bring every single hostage home. We must push for negotiations to continue and ensure that Hamas sticks to the hostage release agreement.
I urge you to join American Jewish Committee (AJC) in calling on Congress to sustain pressure on Hamas to stick to the deal and release the hostages.
Since Hamas’ massacre of Israelis, AJC has been advocating side-by-side with more than 50 hostage families—during their visits to the United States and Europe—to keep their stories front of mind for officials at the highest levels of leadership across society, including with more than 200 members of Congress, multiple national media outlets, the U.S. State Department, major U.S. administration officials, high-ranking diplomats, faith leaders, and more.
As the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, AJC is making sure that everyone, especially the Jewish community and elected officials and leaders in the U.S. and around the world, knows the latest information about the hostages and is equipped to help raise awareness of their plight.
Please bookmark, read, and share these resources below, and check back often as events unfold:
—Who Are the Israeli Hostages Being Released? Full Schedule and Latest Updates
—Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal: What You Need to Know
—Who are the Palestinian Prisoners Freed in the Hostage Agreement
—On AJC’s People of the Pod podcast, I discussed the emotional hostage reunions and what’s next as part of the agreement.
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Julie Rayman is the Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs for the American Jewish Committee