NEW YORK—Following confirmation that the final twenty living-hostages have returned to Israel from Gaza, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder released the following statement:
“Today, we welcome home twenty brave human beings who were forced to endure the unimaginable.
“This is the moment that the people of Israel and Jews across the diaspora have prayed for, fought for, and refused to stop believing in. It is what their families have dreamed of every single day since October 7, 2023.
“We owe this achievement to the resilience of our people — forged through thousands of years of persecution and antisemitism — and to the unwavering commitment of the United States and President Trump to defend the Jewish state and to uphold the principle that terror must never be rewarded. We must also acknowledge the critical role played by the Arab and Muslim nations – Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt – that brought Hamas to the negotiating table.
“This is a time to rejoice, but we remain incomplete as we await the return of the 28 hostages who perished during their cruel captivity.
“We cannot allow Hamas to exploit or evade this agreement. The international community must finally put an end to the decades of terror and retribution that have strangled the people of Gaza. Hamas must now be disarmed, it can play no role in the future of the Palestinian people, and every last hostage must be brought home.”
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