It’s been 17 months — 515 days — since Hamas launched its horrific attack on Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Since then, some 190 hostages have been released (or rescued/retrieved by Israel), with 33 of those coming recently, in the first phase of the ceasefire. Fifty-nine hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, of whom 27 are thought still to be alive.  

Several of the released hostages, including some who were only recently freed, traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Trump administration. 

A group of former hostages are in Washington, D.C. to meet with the Trump administration.

Pictured are Doron Steinbrecher, Omer Shem Tov, Eli Sharabi, Keith Siegel, Naama Levy, and Iair Horn, pic.twitter.com/ZEmeTrlVju

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) March 5, 2025

As we reported earlier, they went to the White House Wednesday afternoon and met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Following their visit with him, President Trump issued a stark warning to Hamas, demanding the return of the remaining hostages.

The White House shared the names of those who met with Trump: 

• Omer Shem Tov
• Eli Sharabi 
• Keith Siegel 
• Aviva Siegel 
• Naama Levy 
• Doron Steinbrecher
• Noa Argamani

I shouldn’t know any of their names, honestly. And yet, I do — theirs and so many others. 

The White House also shared video of that visit, including testimonials by several of the hostages as to what they endured while in captivity.

President Trump met with eight released hostages from Gaza, listening to their heartbreaking stories. They expressed gratitude for his unwavering efforts to bring them & others home.

Hamas’ actions have inflicted immense suffering, AND THEIR REIGN OF TERROR MUST BE STOPPED.🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/Sy0G3fwSqL

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2025

Additional video of their meeting has been shared as well, and part of Trump’s exchange with the hostages was quite stunning. 

BREAKING: Seven former hostages are meeting with U.S. President Trump at the White House right now, discussing the horrors they faced in captivity.

Doron Steinbracher, Eli Sharabi, Naama Levy, Iair Horn, Omer Shem Tov, and Keith and Aviva Siegel should all be recovering at home… pic.twitter.com/ZAUZkWKisy

— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) March 5, 2025

I’ll let their words speak for themselves: 

Omer Shem Tov: My family and I, myself — we believe you have been sent by God to release them. You can really help. You have the power to do it. 

Naama Levy: You were our hope when we were there, and now you’re their hope.

Trump: So, you didn’t think until I came along — you didn’t think you were going to get out?

Group: No.

Levy: Once you were elected, we heard that you want to do everything to make a deal as soon as possible, and —

Eli Sharabi: We were so happy.

Trump: Well, we said, ‘You’d better let us have those people back’ —

Group: Yes.

Levy: You gave us hope.

Trump: ‘You’d better let them out.’ We did say that, and…something happened, right?

Group: Yes.

Trump: Now we’ve gotta get the rest of them.

Sharabi: Please do it again.

The plight of the hostages tears at me enough that I have to avoid writing on them much for fear my emotions will overwhelm me. But I will never, ever, ever forget the look on Naama Levy’s face when she was shown on that horrible day, hauled out of the back of a Jeep and then shoved into the passenger compartment. It has haunted me since. 

Today, she stood alongside seven of her fellow hostages in the Oval Office and addressed the President of the United States, telling him: “You were our hope when we were there, and now you’re their hope.”

Levy held onto hope, and she survived — and now she’s free. My prayer is that the remaining hostages will soon be able to say the same. 

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