J Street is elated by the rescue today of four Israeli hostages held by Hamas since the terror attack on October 7. Over these eight months, we have come to know so many of the hostages’ families personally and the personal stories and the faces of those suffering in captivity. We can only imagine the relief and joy their families must be experiencing at today’s news.

The release of the hostages remains a central goal for J Street. Even as we welcome the news of a successful rescue, we reiterate that the fastest and surest way to bring the remaining hostages home is through an agreement for a ceasefire that includes a stop to the fighting, the return of all hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid.

The significant civilian toll of today’s operation is tragic and also a direct result of Hamas’s strategy and tactics. Not only could their leadership have avoided today’s loss of life by agreeing to the ceasefire that President Biden put on the table last week, they intentionally put civilians in harm’s way by operating in the midst of the civilian population and holding hostages in civilian population centers.

We continue to urge that maximum pressure be brought to bear on the leaders of Hamas and of the Israeli government to accept this agreement and bring this horrific tragedy to an end.