J Street Urges Further Momentum As More Hostages Freed, Palestinians Return Home

January 30, 2025

J Street is overwhelmed with relief at the release of three more Israeli citizens as well as five Thai nationals taken hostage during the October 7 Hamas attack. At the same time, we’re deeply alarmed by the frightening and chaotic scenes of mobs surrounding hostages during the transfer. The Trump Administration and mediators must make clear that such scenes – which threaten to destabilize the fragile ceasefire itself – are entirely unacceptable.

Today’s release includes 20-year old Agam Berger and, significantly, Arbel Yehoud, whose delayed release threatened to derail the agreement in recent days. The release of Gadi Moshe Mozes, who celebrated his 80th birthday in captivity, is particularly meaningful for those in our community who have worked closely with his family members to advocate for this hostage deal and ceasefire agreement. 

The implementation of this ceasefire is vitally important and is bringing not just the scenes of families reunited with those held hostage but also scenes of thousands of Palestinian families finally able to return to their communities in northern Gaza and the continued delivery of aid and medical assistance. 

“After seeing the benefits of the first phase of the ceasefire, it is beyond clear how important it is for President Trump, his team and the other mediators to use all possible leverage to keep the deal on track and to move to the second phase,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “As dealmaker-in-chief, the President needs to refuse to take no for an answer or to let extremists on either side bring down the deal – and part of that means making sure that today’s unacceptable scenes are never repeated.”

While J Street is encouraged by the new administration’s work on the diplomatic front, we are also deeply concerned over President Trump’s suggestion that he wants to “clean out” millions of Palestinians in Gaza – an echo of rhetoric from the extreme right in Israel who have opposed the ceasefire and hostage negotiations. This morally indefensible position is incompatible with a desire to bring this conflict to a peaceful conclusion and to pursue the broader diplomatic opportunities available regionally. 

We hope President Trump will remain focused on the immediate work at hand – ensuring there is no return to war, that every hostage returns home, and that Hamas does not maintain control of Gaza.