‘Every day is like an eternity’: Families of hostages held in Gaza speak out about their grief

A number of the family members of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip spoke out about their tribulations during a House Republican press conference on Tuesday.

Hamas killed over 1,400 Israelis and kidnapped over 200 civilians in terrorist attacks against Israel on Oct. 7. A number of the hostages’ family members joined Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republicans on Tuesday to share their stories of grief and called for immediate action.

“This is a battle between light and darkness, between good and evil. As our cherished friend and ally Israel fights for its survival against the Iran-backed terrorists of Hamas, we will continue to stand up for human dignity and offer moral clarity,” Johnson said. “I am honored to introduce these families to you today.”

“On Oct. 7, My life stopped when my two younger brothers were kidnapped,” said a man who was in Israel at the time of the Hamas attacks.

“We are pleading with you, the world, to help us, to speak with Hamas. We have no clue what happened to them; we only know they are in Gaza. We don’t know if they are injured, if they are together, if they are still alive. For 31 days, for a whole month, my community was butchered,” he said. “We’ve been to more funerals in a week than I’ve been in my entire life… We need action. We need action now.”

The Biden administration has been working with Israel and Qatar, the latter of which has been facilitating negotiations with Hamas, to secure the release of hostages. Hamas released two hostages on Oct. 20, then released two more on Oct. 23; Israel separately rescued a hostage on Oct. 30, according to The Associated Press. The large majority of the hostages and their current conditions remain unaccounted for.

“This is a call for action,” said an Israeli resident alongside his brother, whose brother was kidnapped by Hamas. “I want to thank everyone here for having us, to the American government for helping us, but it’s not enough – we need help now.”

“Every day is like an eternity to me, and I can’t wait any longer,” said the Israeli-American mother of a 26-year-old hostage. “I need your help.”

The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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