From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 1, 2024
On visit to Israel, US Rep. Ritchie Torres vows to work on hostages’ release with ‘fierce urgency’
US Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) vows to work with “fierce urgency” to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during his first visit to Israel since the October 7 Hamas massacre.
During his visit, the Democratic representative met with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Tel Aviv, where he toured the mock Hamas tunnel erected by families of the captives in Hostages Square, the forum says in a statement.
He also met with family members of hostages Omer Shem Tov, 86-year-old Shlomo Mansour, Youssef and Hamza Al-Ziyadne, and Oded Lifshitz.
“I was deeply moved by the courage of the hostage families in telling their stories, including the story about Shlomo Mansour, the oldest hostage who survived the Farhud in Iraq and was kidnapped by Hamas 80 years later,” says Torres.
“My experience at the Hostage Forum crystalized for me the fierce urgency to bring the hostages home.”
Torres also toured the area where invading Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 people and abducted 253 on October 7 in southern Israel, including visiting Kibbutz Nir Oz, Moshav Netiv HaAsara and the site of the Nova music festival.
Hindy Poupko, the senior vice president of the UJA Federation New York that hosted Torres in Israel, called his trip “particularly significant as it signifies his steadfast and unwavering solidarity with Israel. The Congressman’s visit was deeply appreciated in Israel, as he brought messages of unity, empathy and support for October 7 survivors, tens of thousands of displaced persons and all Israelis.”
