J Street is extremely relieved that another four hostages held by Hamas are finally reuniting with their families after 477 days in captivity, and that desperately needed humanitarian aid continues to surge into the hands of Palestinian families in Gaza.
IDF spotters Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy were captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The suffering the four young women endured over the last 15 months is a stark reminder of the stakes of the ceasefire deal and the urgency of bringing home the remaining hostages.
Thousands of humanitarian aid trucks have also rushed into Gaza since the ceasefire went into effect. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, this week’s surge of desperately-needed supplies into Gaza has increased distribution of relief and fuel – and has kick-started repairs to critical infrastructure. However, the organization stressed that the scale of humanitarian needs is still “enormous.”
“As we see the joy of loved ones reuniting with relatives taken hostage and the relief of aid reaching Palestinian families, it’s clear that we cannot let the ceasefire deal fall apart,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “We have endured far too much to go back now. President Trump must ensure that the deal is seen through and protected from pro-war saboteurs in the Netanyahu government.”
J Street remains deeply concerned by behavior on Israel’s far right that is clearly intended to sabotage the ceasefire – from cabinet resignations to inciting a surge in settler violence on the West Bank. These factions have openly bragged about scuttling previous versions of hostage deals to keep the war going and cement control of Palestinian land.
Adhering to the ceasefire deal and proceeding to phase two of negotiations must be the top priority of the US, regional partners and those in the Israeli government who understand that there is no greater obligation than to bring the remaining hostages home and end this war.