The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters reacted with "joy and relief" to the official announcement that a hostage and ceasefire deal has been reached.
"We, the families of 98 hostages, welcome with overwhelming joy and relief the agreement to bring our loved ones home. We wish to express our profound gratitude to President-elect Trump, President Biden, both administrations, and the international mediators for making this possible. Since November 2023, we have been anxiously awaiting this moment, and now, after over 460 days of our family members being held in Hamas tunnels, we are closer than ever to reuniting with our loved ones," the forum stated.
The statement continued, "This is a significant step forward that brings us closer to seeing all hostages return - the living to rehabilitation, and the deceased for proper burial. However, deep anxiety and concerns accompany us regarding the possibility that the agreement might not be fully implemented, leaving hostages behind. We urgently call for swift arrangements to ensure all phases of the deal are carried out."
"We will not rest until we see the last hostage back home," the families declared.