In the midst of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and major escalation throughout Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, J Street remains deeply anxious about the fate of the over 200 Israelis and other foreign nationals taken hostage in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups.
These hostages – men and women, children and the elderly – are innocent civilians who were brutally taken captive during Hamas’ heinous terrorist onslaught launched against Israel on October 7. The nightmare that they and their loved ones are now experiencing is heartrending for our movement, as it is for the entire Israeli people and Jewish diaspora around the world.
Even in the midst of the greater conflagration, efforts to guarantee the hostages’ safety and secure their release from terrifying Hamas captivity must be prioritized by the Israeli government, the US government, other mediator states, humanitarian organizations and all parties. J Street supports any and all efforts to broker the safe return of the hostages, and we will continue to emphasize their plight and urge action in our ongoing advocacy with Congress, the Biden Administration and beyond.