WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) Wednesday released the following statement on the Israel-Hamas hostage deal:
“After 467 days of unimaginable suffering at the hands of Hamas terrorists, negotiators finally reached an agreement to reunite innocent civilians with their families and loved ones. I applaud the tireless work of the negotiators that paved the way for the return of the hostages, a temporary pause in hostilities, and the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinians being used by Hamas as human shields.
From the very beginning, the United States, Israel, and our regional partners have worked to secure a deal that guarantees Israel’s security, holds the terrorists accountable, and ensures the safe return of hostages. Hamas has repeatedly attempted to stall progress and good faith negotiations.
While today’s deal marks an important step forward, the unfortunate reality is that this war is not over until all the hostages, especially the Americans, are released and Israel’s security is ensured. We cannot forget that on October 7, Hamas terrorists brutally kidnapped, raped, decapitated, burned alive, and murdered more than a thousand innocent babies, children, women, men, and elderly, including dozens of Americans. We cannot forget that the Iranian-backed terrorist organization and its leaders have continuously exploited the suffering of both innocent hostages and Palestinian civilians to prolong the war they started. We cannot forget that Israel has the absolute right to defend herself, and must hold every single terrorist accountable for the atrocities committed on October 7 to ensure it can never happen again.
We will not rest until every single hostage, including all the Americans and my constituent, Edan Alexander, is reunited with their families and loved ones.”
