US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza on Thursday in Washington DC, in what was his first official meeting with them, a statement from the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters said.
During the meeting, Rubio stressed that true victory in Gaza will only be realized when all the hostages return home, in addition to the US's commitment to Israel.
The meeting included family members of current and former captives: Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran; Ilay David, brother of Evyatar David; Tzur Goldin, brother of fallen soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin; and Iair Horn, recently freed, whose brother Eitan remains in captivity.
The families emphasized that this is a critical window of opportunity to bring all 50 hostages home in one comprehensive deal, with no phases or partial agreements, as well as their trust in the Trump administration to act with urgency and determination.
"We've waited long enough," the family members said. "It's time to make brave decisions and bring all our loved ones back—all at once."
Trump says ceasefire in Gaza could be reached by next week
Earlier this week, hostage families demanded that US President Donald Trump facilitate another deal to release their loved ones from captivity at a Washington rally, insisting Trump could ride on the recent success in brokering an Iran-Israel ceasefire.
Trump said on Friday he believes it is possible that a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict will be reached by next week.
At an Oval Office event celebrating a Congo-Rwanda accord, Trump told reporters that he believes a ceasefire is close, and said he spoke to some of the people involved in trying to reach a deal.
Some 50 hostages remain in captivity after being abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023. While the terror group originally abducted some 250 people, many were released under previous ceasefire agreements, while some others were rescued by the IDF.