Dozens of members of Congress and of Jewish groups stated that they are relieved that Israel secured the release today of Romi Gonen, Emily Damar and Doron Steinbrecher from Gaza and stated that all the rest of the hostages must also come home.
“After 471 unimaginable days in captivity, three innocent hostages are finally free and reunited with their loved ones,” stated Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). “But our mission is far from over. We will not rest until every hostage is safely home and every perpetrator of terror faces the full weight of justice.”
“Today, tomorrow and always,” the Pennsylvania Republican stated, “we stand with our friends in Israel—united in purpose, unyielding in support and unwavering in the fight against evil.”
“May these be the first of many more hostages to come home,” stated Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).
“After being held captive for over a year by Hamas terrorists, the first wave of hostages are finally coming home to their families,” stated Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). “We won’t stop pushing until all the hostages are freed.”
Canadian parliamentarian Kevin Vuong wrote that “some things are complicated. This is not.”
“I choose to stand with the unarmed civilian held hostage for 471 days, as opposed to the armed masked men who take children, women and others hostage,” he wrote. (Earlier, he wrote that Romi Gonen’s cousin Maureen has been fighting for her release and that he “cannot wait to take down Romi’s poster from my Hill office.”)
The Jewish Federations of North America stated that the “Jewish community today is overwhelmed with emotion” as it welcomes Gonen, Damar and Steinbrecher “back home after 471 days in captivity.”
“Romi Gonen was shot and kidnapped from the Nova music festival. Emily Damari, the last remaining British hostage in Gaza, was also shot when she was abducted. Doron Steinbrecher was taken from her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza,” the Federation stated. “Every day for over 15 months, we have been thinking about them, praying for them and advocating for their release.”
The Federation added that it is “hopeful that over the coming weeks, we will see continued hostage releases until every last one of the remaining 95 hostages are returned home.”
B’nai B’rith International stated that the hostages were free “after 471 days of unimaginable hell.”
“Our work is far from over. Hamas terrorists continue to hold hostages captive in barbarous conditions,” B’nai B’rith stated. “We will not rest until every hostage is safely reunited with their families and loved ones.”
Carol Ann Schwartz and Ellen Finkelstein, national president and CEO respectively of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, stated that “for over a year, we have prayed for the safety and freedom of the men, women and children who were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, and held hostage in inhumane conditions ever since.”
“We have wept and grieved every time we learned one of them was murdered by Hamas,” the Hadassah leaders said, recognizing that the released hostages “have a challenging physical and mental rehabilitation process ahead.”
“We stand with these brave individuals as they work to heal and reclaim their lives, just as we stand with the hostages still enduring captivity and the families who are waiting to be reunited with them,” the duo said. “Hadassah continues to press for the safe release of all remaining hostages and work with leaders in the U.S. and around the world to hold Hamas accountable for its crimes against humanity.”
