Families of hostages and survivors of captivity gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly.
They called for an immediate deal to return the 48 remaining hostages from Gaza and for an end to the war, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Orna Neutra, the mother of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra, said, “Seven hundred twenty-one days – almost two years. This war that started off as the just war is too long. Too many of our people are still in Gaza. Too many of our people are being killed. We need this war to end. It’s time for action, not long speeches.”
Turning directly to international leaders, she pleaded, “To all world leaders: Bring our hostages home. Bring them home. Now! Prime Minister Netanyahu, bring your people back! End this war! President [Donald] Trump, you promised. We trust you. It’s time for brave leadership and action. Bring our people home. Bring them home! Now! All of them now!”
Hagai Angrest, whose son Matan was killed and abducted on October 7, described his son’s last moments: “Matan fought for more than two hours on October 7. He saved many people, and after more than two hours, they brutally lynched him and kidnapped him to Gaza.”
Angrest said families have pursued Netanyahu everywhere to deliver a single message: “We want only to finish this, to put a complete deal on the table and finish the war. We want to see all of them, all 48, return to Israel. Until that happens, we won’t stop, and he knows it. Benjamin Netanyahu knows that we are fighters. More than 80% of people in Israel want to see all the hostages returned. It will happen.”
Ruby Chen, the father of Israeli-American hostage Itay Chen, spoke with anger and frustration: “My son is a German-Israeli IDF soldier. He [Netanyahu] shows no respect to me or to my family, and there should be no reason why he should have my respect as well.”
He stressed, “I hope that the prime minister understands that he has a job to finish. The job is to get 48 hostages home, not 20, not 15, and not five. Forty-eight hostages he needs to get out, and we want all of them now. We want all of them now.”
Former hostages accuse Netanyahu of obstructing deal
Hamas captivity survivor Ilana Gritzewsky directed her words to Netanyahu: “I met you in Nir Oz. You promised me you’d bring Matan back. You promised me you would bring back David and Ariel Cunio, and Eitan Horn, all of the hostages.”
She continued, “You looked me in the eyes, you said in your own voice, you would bring everyone back. You lied to us. You obstructed [Steve] Witkoff’s deal. We could have had everyone home. Instead, heroes fall in battle, hostages might be murdered, and the deceased might disappear forever.
“You chose to conquer Gaza, you chose to kill the hostages, you didn’t listen to your people, who shout out. You didn’t listen to security officials. You didn’t listen to me. You are waging a war that has no meaning besides keeping your chair. You sold your people to stay in power.”
Gritzewsky added, “We won’t shut up or sit on the sidelines. We will fight, we will advocate, until the last hostage. My Matan, you will hear our prime minister now, because he placed speakers in Gaza. But I hope you will hear me too, and know that I am fighting for you. The entire nation is fighting for you, and for everyone. We will get everyone back in an agreement. We will not give up on you. I promise you and all the hostages, we will end the war and bring everyone home.”