The group representing the families of those detained by Hamas since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks said they are receiving news of the deal “with excitement, anticipation and apprehension.”
The Families Headquarters for the Return of Abductees said there are still 48 hostages held by Hamas, and 20 of them are believed to be still alive.
People hug in front of images of the lost and kidnapped at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, on October 7, 2025 in Re’im, Israel.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
“The Headquarters of Families welcomes the signing of the agreement aimed at returning all the kidnapped people home: those who live for their rehabilitation among their families and the fallen for a dignified burial in their country,” the statement said. “This is important and significant progress on the path to the return of all of them, but our fight is not over and will not end until the last abductee returns.”
The statement called on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “meet and approve the agreement immediately. Any delay could take a heavy toll on the hostages and the soldiers. We are convinced that the Prime Minister will guarantee an absolute majority for the implementation of the agreement reached.”
Families of the hostages protest the implementation of a US plan to end the war in Gaza and release all hostages, near the US consulate in Tel Aviv on September 29, 2025.
He is for Em/Hewles.
The group expressed its “deep gratitude” to President Donald Trump “for the leadership and determination that led to a historic breakthrough: the end of the war and a comprehensive agreement to return all those kidnapped.”
