‘We need you’ – Hostage families beg Trump to bring captives home

Families of Israeli captives urge President Trump to use his meeting with Israel’s prime minister on Monday to secure a deal ending the war in Gaza and bringing back the remaining 48 hostages.

By World Israel News Staff

Families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip urged President Donald Trump over the weekend to use his upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a comprehensive deal ending the war in Gaza and returning the remaining 48 captives to Israel.

Trump is slated to meet with Netanyahu in the White House Monday, marking the fourth time the two leaders have met since Trump returned to office in January.

The White House meeting comes three days after Netanyahu spoke at the United Nations General Assembly for High-Level Week, condemning foreign leaders for recognizing unilateral Palestinian statehood.

During Monday’s meeting, the two leaders are expected to negotiate the details of the Trump administration’s 21-point peace plan, which would impose a ceasefire in Gaza and a gradual IDF withdrawal in exchange for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages, Hamas handing over offensive weaponry, and the exile of the terrorist group’s leadership.

Monday’s talks will likely focus on the post-war administration of the Gaza Strip, Qatar’s role in that administration, and the extent of Israel’s freedom of action in Gaza during the ceasefire.

Late Sunday night, the Hostage Family Forum, one of two major organizations representing the families of Israeli hostages, sent a letter to Trump urging him to pressure Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire that would pave the way for the return of the hostages.

“We need you,” the Forum wrote. “48 of our loved ones – our fathers, siblings, children – need you.

“Your dual focus on ending the war and bringing all 48 hostages home stands in stark contrast to the expanded war that Israel is currently conducting,” the letter continues.

“Our hope was lifted when you convened a meeting of Arab nation leaders at the UN on Tuesday. We know that your focus on the future of Gaza is paramount to ending this war, and we commend you for using your diplomatic influence to put those pieces into place.

“We respectfully ask you to stand firm against any attempts to sabotage the deal you have brought forth. The stakes are too high, and our families have waited too long, for any interference to derail this progress.”