Crowds gathered Saturday night at the central rally of the Hostages Families Forum at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and at many other locations across the country, calling: “Don’t miss this historic opportunity! Take the necessary and possible action now – reach a comprehensive agreement and bring all hostages home!”
Mandy Damari, mother of hostage Emily Damari, the last remaining British-Israeli citizen in captivity, spoke at Sha’ar Hanegev and addressed US President-elect Donald Trump: “Emily and all of the remaining hostages are in hell… Starving, dehydrated, in dirty rags, and a bucket for a toilet. Watched over by men who want to murder her or rape her. The time for words of comfort are long gone.”
“My message to you, Mr. President, is that your words have given us more than comfort. They have given us strength. And I know that your actions will match those words. You are Emily’s champion now, and I believe in you, that you can finally bring her and every last hostage back home. We are now at a critical moment for the hostages once again. An agreement is within reach, and it must be acted upon with urgency. And we will not stop until every last hostage is home. Nobody gets left behind, because we are all family.”
Shira Albag, mother of Liri Albag who appeared in a Hamas captivity video released last week, said: “I stand here, exactly one week after receiving proof of life from my Liri, and my heart just wants to scream. Liri, our light, just 19 years old – a child with her whole life ahead of her, is there, in captivity, in hell. Exactly one week ago we received proof of life. We saw and heard Liri. But this isn’t our Liri. We saw a Liri who was depleted, frightened, fighting for her life every moment and every minute of the day. Look at her eyes that scream from within: ‘Get me out of this hell. Don’t forget me.’ This video isn’t just proof of life. It’s a cry for help. It’s a clear and unequivocal command: Make a deal now! Liri is alive, and she will return home alive!”
Dr. Mazen Abu Siam, Rahat City Council member and friend of the late Yosef Al Zayadni, said: “Bilal and his sister Aisha were released in the only hostage deal and parted from their father Yosef and brother Hamza, promising each other they would embrace again soon. None of us believed for a moment this would be their final farewell. With less than ten days until President Trump takes office, what hasn’t been achieved in 463 days of war won’t be achieved in the ten days remaining, and it’s imperative now to secure a hostage deal and end the war that has caused so much unnecessary bloodshed on both sides.”
US Ambassador Jack Lew noted: “Through fifteen months of intensive engagement, we had some success – freeing over 100 hostages through negotiations. But our work is far from done. We have lost too many and our focus must be to bring all of the remaining 98 hostages home. Today, 463 days after October 7, our hearts have not stopped aching for those who remain captive in Gaza, deprived of their freedom, in harsh conditions few of us can even imagine, let alone withstand.”
For the remaining hostages who still endure, reaching a deal is literally a matter of life and death. And we need a deal that when fully implemented will in fact bring ALL of the hostages home. Tonight, as Israel’s close friends and allies, we reaffirm our commitment to helping reach a breakthrough that will bring the hostages home and bring a better future for the people of this region.”
British Ambassador Simon Walters: “The tragedy of Yosef and Hamzah, like that of Nadav Populwell, who was also a British citizen, brings me back to the question we all ask ourselves: ‘What more can we do?’ The answers are not easy ones. But I want to tell you that we know the only way to bring the hostages home is to end the fighting. Hamas bears full responsibility for these crimes. But practically, we know that the only way to bring all the hostages home is through negotiation.”
German Ambassador Steffen Seibert said: “Our work on all diplomatic and political fronts is for all the hostages. They are our top priority and each one of them needs to come home now. The war in Gaza, the unimaginable pain of hundreds of thousands there, must end. These two goals are interconnected, and we must ensure that both are achieved as quickly as possible. We need hope. We don’t have the right to ever lose hope. We don’t have the right to stop fighting for them.”
Yuval Engel, released from Hamas captivity after 52 days with her mother Karina and sister Mika, spoke at the Be’eri and Nir Oz communities’ rally in Carmei Gat, saying: “We lost my father, who fought bravely before he was murdered. And David Cunio, who was with us in captivity, is still waiting to return home. This war has taken so much from us – we cannot let it take any more.”
“A month ago, I celebrated my bat mitzvah. It was a special day, but also sad, because such an important part of my family wasn’t there. I hope the day will come when all families will be whole again.
“Your words have given us strength, and I know your actions will match them. You are Emily’s champion now, and I believe you can finally bring her and every last hostage back home.” – Mandy Damari, mother of hostage Emily Damari, addressing President-elect Trump
