From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 25, 2025
Hostage families meet with Rubio in DC: ‘This is a critical moment’
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Captivity survivors and hostage families met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington today, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says, a day after the US and Israel withdrew negotiators from Gaza ceasefire-hostage talks in Doha.
Participants included Hamas captivity survivors Keith and Aviva Siegel; Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of hostage Omri Miran; Liran Berman, older brother of twin-brother hostages Gali and Ziv Berman; Anat and Hagai Angrest, parents of captive soldier Matan Angrest; Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of slain captive soldier Omer Neutra; and Ruby and Hagit Chen, parents of slain captive soldier Itay Chen.
The Forum quotes Rubio as telling the hostage families: “I reaffirm my unwavering commitment — 100% — to achieving a hostage deal that brings every hostage home and ends the fighting.”
In a statement, the hostage families thank Rubio for meeting with them and his “unwavering commitment” to the captives.
“We trust that President Trump and his administration will do everything in their power to ensure this deal does not collapse and that this pressing opportunity is not lost,” say the families. “We believe the President and his team are fully committed to securing an agreement that brings all the hostages home.”
“In such a sensitive and decisive moment, we feel compelled to remind all parties of the cost of failure: the tragedy of August 2024, when six hostages were brutally murdered after negotiations collapsed. That devastating loss must never be repeated,” say the families. “This is a critical moment. The deal must be finalized and it must bring every single one of them home.”
The Times of Israel Community.