The parents of the 101 American and Israeli hostages held by Hamas for nearly 420 days are calling on the US and Israeli governments to show a sense of “urgency” in securing their freedom. Seven of the hostages are American, and their families are urging that their release be prioritized.
Orna Neutra, mother of Omer Neutra, who was 21 years old when he was abducted by Hamas, said, “There were security issues that needed to be dealt with in the north, with Hezbollah, with Iran. But at this point, the hostages – which are a primary war goal for the Israelis – should be the first priority, and everything possible should be done to get them out.”
Ronen Neutra, Omer’s father, echoed his wife’s sentiments, saying, “It’s extremely painful for us to see how the time is going by, and our son is held in those terrible conditions trying to survive. The question is, what are we going to gain from a few more months of waiting with these conditions?”
The families of the hostages are frustrated with Israel’s strategy for returning them, which they believe is not prioritizing their release. They are also worried about the conditions in which the hostages are being held, with Orna Neutra saying, “We saw what happened in late August, when the IDF was getting too close to the hostages, the terrorists got instructions to execute them. We saw six hostages executed in one day, one of them, American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. And the conditions that they were held in and the state in which they were retrieved – they were emaciated, they were dehydrated, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for imagination.”
The families are holding out hope that a change in administration in the US could bring about a change in the negotiations and secure the release of their loved ones. President-elect Donald Trump has said from the campaign trail, “We want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price.” However, the president-elect has not yet made contact with the families and has not detailed steps he would take to secure the hostages’ release.
In the meantime, the parents of the hostages will continue to make sure that their children are not forgotten and will continue to push for their release.
