The Hostages and Missing Families Forum issued a statement following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on Friday that the U.S. is in "very deep negotiations with Hamas" over a deal to secure the release of the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
The forum said: "The families of the 48 hostages express profound gratitude to President Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff for their unwavering determination, courage, and compassion in advancing these negotiations. We offer special thanks to President Trump, who is making every effort to fulfill his promise to bring them home. We pray this will happen soon.
"Over the past couple of weeks, millions of Israelis have taken to the streets with a clear call: end the war and bring all hostages home—the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial.
"President Trump demonstrates that true leadership is measured by bold decisions. We are grateful for his recent executive order that sends a clear message to the world that hostage-taking is fundamentally wrong and will not be tolerated by the US administration. We are confident that President Trump and Ambassador Witkoff will faithfully represent Israel's interests in these negotiations and bring all parties to a comprehensive agreement.
