Loved ones of Israeli hostages thanked President-elect Donald Trump in DC on Sunday for helping usher through a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas — and pleaded with the incoming administration to ensure every last soul held in Gaza is freed.
The hopeful families made their voices heard during a rally in front of the Washington Monument on the eve of Trump’s inauguration as three women were released from Hamas captivity and reunited with their families in Israel after 15 months in hellish conditions.
Noa Argamani, who was among 250 Israelis kidnapped back to the Palestinian territory on Oct. 7, 2023 before she was rescued in June, said her “heart is in captivity” until she again sees her abducted partner still in Gaza.
“I know what it’s like to be left behind, watching other hostages being released to their families. My partner, Avinatan Or, and the many other hostages are only supposed to be freed in the second stage of this deal,” she said during the rally in frigid temperatures.
“Meanwhile, every second feels like the last second of their lives. I know because I was there. This is why it is absolutely critical that we put an end to this horrible tragedy and commit to a full and complete deal, to get all the hostages home to their families. Until Avinatan returns, my heart is in captivity.”
The first phase of the deal includes the return of 33 hostages over six weeks of peace with scores of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel also to be released.
The second phase would bring back the rest of the living hostages but would require fighting in Gaza to come to an end, which could prove to be a difficult feat. The third phase would include all bodies of dead hostages returned and the start of rebuilding Gaza.
The two sides have been at war since Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis over a year ago, leading the Jewish state to carry out a military campaign in Gaza. There was only a brief pause in fighting in November 2023 during another cease-fire.
Liran Berman, who’s the brother of hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, said every moment the pair is in captivity is “another moment their lives are at risk.”
“President Trump, I want to thank you for everything you have done to make this deal possible. I am so relieved that soon, many hostages will be coming home, but I also want to be relieved that my brothers are coming home too,” Berman said of the twin siblings.
“I am here to ask — no, to urge — you to ensure that this deal follows through in its entirety, without delays or stops. My brothers are running out of time.”
One New Yorker trekked from the Big Apple to the nation’s capital with a distinct jacket at the emotional demonstration.
Jamie, who lives on the Upper East Side, wore a custom-made black trench coat with vertical chains hanging photos of every hostage still in Gaza.
She designed the poignant jacket in response to the anti-Israel protesters who would cruelly tear down hostage fliers across the five boroughs.
“I think it was chutzpah seeing these people tear these posters down everywhere,” the 31-year-old told The Post of the “heartbreaking” feeling of seeing eroded humanity.
“But you put them on your body and they can’t tear these down,” she added triumphantly.
“That was the inspiration behind it.”
While the photos include all of the remaining hostages, other decals denote the current status of others, including whether they died or were killed in captivity.
“We want to be able to look back on our lives and tell our kids that we were here and standing up for our people in the times we need it the most,” Jamie said.
A giant banner at the rally read, “President Trump – You can make it happen, Bring Them Home NOW” as attendees shared their gratitude with both the incoming Trump White House and outgoing Biden administration for helping get the latest cease-fire through.
The brother of slain American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, Daniel Neutra, lauded his loved one for putting “his own life at risk to save thousands of others.”
Neutra was initially believed to be alive in Gaza, but the Israeli military said last month the 21-year-old was killed and his body was brought back to the Palestinian enclave.
“We owe it to him to rescue the people he gave his life to save, and to bring him home,” he said.
Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza with about a third believed to be dead.
