Hostage families urge US intervention to end war in Gaza like it did with Iran

Four hostages’ family members, Ilan Dallal, Dalia Cusnir-Horn, Orna and Ronen Neutra and Lea Goldin, speak to reporters during a virtual press conference organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and MediaCentral on Thursday about the need to press for a hostage deal with Hamas now that the 12-day war with Iran had ended with a ceasefire.

“The war needs to end for the whole region to be able to move forward,” says Orna Neutra, whose son, Omer Neutra, was taken captive on October 7 and killed in a Gaza tunnel, where his body is still held hostage.

“We feel that the war in Gaza is prolonged for political reasons,” says Omer’s father, Ronen. “So we’re asking President Trump to intervene and do what he did with Iran and put pressure on Hamas and Israel. The people are tired, it’s time to end this conflict.”

The family members emphasized that there is an opportunity now to push for a deal with Hamas following the ceasefire with Iran.

“There’s this amazing success that Israel just had in Iran, and we need to leverage that,” says Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law, Eitan Horn, is still held hostage while her other brother-in-law, Iair Horn, was released in February.

“We’re being told all the time that negotiations are taking place but that Hamas is not willing to change,” says Cusnir-Horn. “What we’re trying to tell the US administration and President Trump is that something needs to change. Israel also has to take this agreement, just like it did with Iran. Maybe this conflict with Iran didn’t end the way Israel wanted, but just as the US intervened with Iran, this is the kind of leadership we ask for from President Trump with Hamas.”