Statement on the Return of the Hostages and the Ceasefire

Today, 738 days after being taken captive by Hamas, 20 living Israeli hostages have finally returned home. For two years, their families and loved ones kept their stories alive and advocated tirelessly for their release, calling to bring them home now. Today we can say: they are home.

On a deeply emotional day, more than two years to the day of the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, we rejoice with the Israeli and Jewish people, and with all in the region and around the world, who came together to advocate for the safe return of every person taken hostage. Even as we celebrate the return of the living hostages, we await the return of the 28 deceased hostages, so they can be laid to rest with dignity, and their families can have the closure they deserve. We mourn with their families and for all the innocent lives lost on October 7 and over the past two years of war.  

We hope that the deal that enabled this day to happen will hold and turn into a lasting peace so that all who have been caught in this crisis, Israeli and Palestinian, can begin to heal and rebuild their lives. A critical component of this deal is the delivery of food, medicine and other relief to support families and children in Gaza. We appreciate the Trump Administration's efforts to get the deal to this point and hope they will sustain involvement to ensure a day-after plan is implemented that can lead to real peace.

Once again, we are grateful to our colleagues, grantees and partners who have led through these times of crisis with courage and resilience. They have shown up, mourned with the survivors and those who lost loved ones, raised awareness for the hostages, provided critical humanitarian support and served as a lifeline to impacted communities.  

Today, the collective hope of so many people to see the hostages return home was realized. Even so, a long, hard road remains ahead—for healing, for recovery, for rebuilding. We recommit to our work to ensure Israel is a secure homeland for the Jewish people, a thriving democracy and inclusive civil society.

May we remain steadfast in our vision to build a safer, more just and peaceful future.