Robert O’Brien, who served as White House national security adviser during Donald Trump’s first term as US President, and Tom Nides, who served as US ambassador to Israel under President Joe Biden, on Monday published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal titled “America Demands Hamas Return Its Hostages”.
In the editorial, the two said that any hostage release deal must include in its first stage the seven American citizens who are still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, noting the support for this from both sides of the US political spectrum.
O’Brien and Nides pointed out that 12 Americans were taken hostage during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, of which four were released as part of negotiations, and one, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was murdered in cold blood hours before IDF troops could reach him. “That leaves seven, of whom three are confirmed to have been murdered, and Hamas hasn’t returned their remains.”
“The US has many strategic interests in the Middle East. We, like the presidents we served, don’t always agree on how to serve them. But we are united in our belief that the seven US hostages still in Gaza, along with the other 93 hostages, must come home now,” the two added. “President Biden and his team have been working hard to make this happen. President-elect Trump has made clear that the American Seven must be released before he returns to office or there will be ‘hell to pay,’”
O’Brien and Nides continued, “Hamas should read this bipartisan support as a unified American front. Its supporters throughout the region should understand that, for the US government, bringing home our citizens who have been unlawfully detained is a high priority rooted deep in our history.”
“Negotiations for the release of the hostages are reportedly close to fruition. But we have been close before, then suddenly one of the sides decides to move the negotiation goal posts, and the opportunity to bring all the hostages home slips away,” they wrote.
They pointed out that “all parties to these negotiations must know that any agreement must include the immediate release of the American Seven. They aren’t a bargaining chip. They are our fellow citizens with names and family members who await them with unbearable pain. This Hanukkah and Christmas, these families will be forced again to sit at their holiday dinner with an empty chair at the table.”
“Hamas and their backers must hear the message loud and clear: Release the Americans in the first phase of the deal. All of them. Release the American Seven and remember their names at your holiday celebrations this week: Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai, Judi Weinstein Haggai, Omer Neutra and Keith Siegel. This is the best deal you are ever going to see, Hamas,” concluded O’Brien and Nides.