Families of American hostages captured by Hamas turn to Donald Trump for new hope

By MJ Lee and Arlette Saenz, CNN

Washington (CNN) — The families of US hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain in agony, waiting for any sign that their loved ones might finally come home to them.

Now, more than a year into the Israel-Hamas conflict and on the heels of last week’s US presidential election, some of those families are turning to one man with renewed hope: President-elect Donald Trump.

Ruby Chen, whose son Itay was a 19-year-old soldier in the Israeli military when he was killed on October 7, is still waiting for the return of his son’s remains. Chen, along with family members of a handful of other dual US-Israeli hostages – some of whom have been confirmed dead – plan to meet with President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House Tuesday afternoon.

Chen told CNN on Tuesday that with Trump now poised to return to the White House for a second term, he is not alone in hoping that the next US president – who has famously marketed himself throughout his career as the ultimately dealmaker – might be able to accomplish what Biden has failed to thus far: Secure the return of the American hostages.

“He’s always been ‘America First,’” Chen said of Trump. “He cares about the topic of American hostages and now it’s time to see his recommitment to the topic, and have American hostages come out before January 20.”

Chen added that he would be glad to see a social media post from Trump about the US hostages in Gaza, which he would take as a serious indication of the president-elect’s dedication to the issue.

Speaking at the Republican National Convention over the summer, Trump said: “To the entire world, I tell you this: We want our hostages back. And they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price.”

The Biden administration has been pushing for months for a ceasefire and hostages release deal in the Israel-Hamas war. Those talks are stalled.

The families of the American hostages have had numerous meetings with top American officials – Democrat and Republican – throughout the course of the Gaza conflict, as they have periodically visited Washington, DC, to advocate for the release of their loved ones. Those families have yet to meet with Trump or his running mate, JD Vance, according to Chen.

The meeting between the families and Sullivan comes as talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas – a top priority for Biden’s remaining months in office – remain at a standstill. Qatar recently announced it had paused its role as a mediator for a ceasefire in Gaza due to a lack of willingness by the sides to reach an agreement.

“We continue to work to get a deal done as soon as possible to bring the hostages home to their families,” a White House official said, adding Sullivan has met frequently with the families throughout the past year.

In the wake of the election last week, the hostage families called on Trump to work with Biden to “secure the immediate release of the hostages and end this nightmare for the hostage families, Israel, and the civilians of Gaza.”

“The hostages cannot wait any longer,” they said. “They are depending on us and on Republican and Democratic leaders to seize this moment.”

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