Families of Gaza captives thank Trump, Witkoff for ‘courage’ and ‘determination’ in hostage talks

The Hostage Families Forum issues a statement thanking US President Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff “for their unwavering determination, courage, and compassion” in advancing hostage and ceasefire talks.

The statement comes after Trump said the US was in “very deep negotiations with Hamas. Witkoff reportedly met in Paris with Qatari officials on Thursday to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

“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,” the statement says.

“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,” the statement says, referring to an executive order signed yesterday that would let the US designate nations as state sponsors of wrongful detention, using the threat of associated sanctions to deter Americans from being detained abroad or taken hostage.

“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,” the statement says, calling on the Israeli government to support Trump’s efforts.