'Hostages cannot wait any longer' - Families of American-Israelis captives in Gaza urge Trump 'to seize this moment,' work with Biden for their release

The families of seven American hostages still held captive in the Gaza strip are urging President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to work together with the Biden administration in securing the immediate release of their loved ones, according to a joint statement released on Wednesday.

“The hostages cannot wait any longer. They are depending on us and on Republican and Democratic leaders to seize this moment,” the families said. "This is an urgent, catastrophic humanitarian crisis, not a partisan issue. Our family members in captivity in Gaza need a bipartisan coalition of brave, committed leaders to bring them home," they added.  

"For 397 days, Americans– Omer, Edan, Judi, Gad, Keith, Sagui and Itay– have suffered at the hands of Hamas terrorists in Gaza," the statement said. 

"They are depending on us and on Republican and Democratic leaders to seize this moment," the families said. 

Liz Hirsh Naftali, the great aunt of four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, who was taken hostage on October 7 and released 50 days later, told The Jerusalem Post in a separate statement on Tuesday that the president-elect and U.S. President Joe Biden must pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ron Dermer and Israeli leadership to negotiate a deal "that demonstrates their unachieved commitment for over a year for the hostage release."

Naftali said the two U.S. leaders must also put equal pressure on Qatari, Egyptian, Iranian and gulf leaders to press Hamas for a deal that releases the hostages once and for all, puts an end to the fighting and provides necessary humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. 

"This is the greatest priority for the day after election 2024 as it relates to Israel and the hostages," Naftali said. Until a deal is made “everyone loses and sadly more hostages and innocent people will die."  

At least three of the American hostages are believed to be dead, according to Israeli officials- Itay Chen, 19, Judith Weinstein, 70 and Gadi Haggai, 73. 

Chen was an IDF soldier taken captive by Hamas on October 7. His parents were told by the Israeli military in March their son was believed to have been murdered in the Hamas massacre and taken into Gaza. 

Married couple Judith Weinstein and Gadi Haggai were initially believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas, but later murdered.

Keith Siegel, 65, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Edan Alexander, 20, and Omer Neutra, 22, are believed to still be alive.

The parents of Omer Neutra spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, urging both parties to work together to help reach a hostage release-ceasefire deal.