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Survivors of Hamas captivity and family members of hostages still held in Gaza appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, urging U.S. leaders to take urgent action to secure the release of the remaining 59 hostages.
The emotional roundtable, held in Washington and co-chaired by Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., included testimonies from Americans formerly held by Hamas and relatives of those still missing. Senators Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.; Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Tim Kaine, D-Va., also participated.
“I am absolutely committed to doing everything possible to bring your families home,” McCormick said. “I am inspired by your courage.”
Among the participants were Keith and Aviva Siegel and Iair Horn, all of whom were freed from Gaza in a hostage deal. They were joined by Ilay David, whose brother Evyatar remains captive; Liran Berman, whose twin brothers Gali and Ziv are still in Gaza; and Orna and Ronen Neutra, whose son Omer was murdered and kidnapped during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Keith Siegel urged continued U.S. involvement, including renewed negotiations to secure a deal. “I’m sharing my story because the world needs to understand what we as hostages went through — and what Gali, Ziv and all the remaining hostages in Gaza are enduring right now,” Siegel said. “I urge President Trump to continue his approach: apply pressure, restart negotiations, and secure a deal—before it’s too late.”
Aviva Siegel recounted the trauma of captivity. “I was afraid to look at Keith — I was terrified I’d see him dead,” she said. “The world cannot allow this to happen to anyone, ever again.”
Horn, whose brother Eitan is still held, said his freedom remains incomplete. “I cannot be truly free while Eitan is still being held in hell,” he said. “As long as he’s in captivity, my heart is not complete. I am here today because of President Trump. I ask you, Mr. President, to keep pushing forward — and to make the release of Eitan and all the other hostages a top priority.”
Berman said his brothers’ return is vital to national healing. “Only when the last hostage comes back to Israel will we be able to heal as a nation,” he said. “They are not just hostages — they are human beings who have a future.”
David spoke of the anguish caused by a video Hamas released showing his brother and another hostage. “We saw the despair and pain in Evyatar’s and Guy’s eyes,” he said. “We are on a mission to save their lives and those of all the remaining hostages. This is not about politics — it’s about saving lives.”
As the Jewish holiday of Passover approaches, David added: “we believe that together, we can help bring them home.”
The Neutras called for urgency not only in returning the hostages, but also the remains of the deceased. “Time is running out to return the deceased, as well,” they said in a joint statement. “The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to locate and recover their remains, denying families such as ours closure and dignity — and the deceased, an honorable final resting place.”
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Their son Omer, they said, “was a symbol of the devastation caused by the events of October 7th — a symbol for all the hostages. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hug our son, but Omer deserves a proper burial.”
The families said they will continue to advocate for international efforts to secure the release of their loved ones, warning that time is running out.