From the Liveblog of
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Hostage forum welcomes return of slain captives, urges government to use Iran momentum for deal to free all hostages
Hostage Families Forum welcomes the return of the bodies of three slain captives, Ofra Keidar, Jonathan Samerano, and Shay Levinson, and urges the government to use the momentum from the Iran war to secure a deal to free the remaining hostages.
“Our hearts are with the Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson families today. Alongside the grief and pain, their return provides some comfort to the families who have waited in agony, uncertainty, and doubt for 625 days,” the forum says.
“We wish to express our deep gratitude to the IDF and security forces who acted with dedication and courage,” the forum says.”The return of all the hostages is an essential condition for the process of national healing and recovery.”
It urges the government to take advantage of the severe blows dealt to Iran, the main backer of the Hamas terror group.
“Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasize that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving any sort of victory,” the forum says.
“There is a historic window of opportunity — the significant regional achievements enable Israel to end the war from a position of clear strength,” the statement says. “The return of all hostages through a comprehensive deal — this is in Israel’s interest, this is the next stage, and this is the victory of this war. There will be no victory until the last hostage returns.”
The forum requests that the media and the public respect the privacy of the Keidar, Samerano, and Levinson families.
The Times of Israel Community.