After enduring more than two years of separation, 20 Israeli hostages were finally reunited with their families on Monday. This emotional reunion was made possible through the efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration, who have been thanked by many for their role in bringing these individuals back home.

Noa Argamani, one of the hostages, was kidnapped alongside her partner, Avinatan Or, by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. She expressed her joy and relief at being reunited with Avinatan, whom she describes as “the love of my life.”

“It has been two long years since I last saw Avinatan, two years since terrorists tore us apart and took me away on a motorcycle in front of the entire world,” Argamani recounted. “I was held captive by Hamas for 246 days, while Avinatan endured 738 days in captivity. My return was part of a heroic rescue operation, and Avinatan was freed through a deal. Despite all odds, we are both back home and united once more!”

The families and loved ones of the hostages have expressed their gratitude towards President Trump and his team for their dedicated efforts in ensuring the safe return of their loved ones.

“Seeing him after such a prolonged absence was indescribable,” Argamani continued, reflecting on the emotional impact of their reunion. “We both faced the threat of death countless times, but now, after two years, we are finally beginning our new life together in the State of Israel.”

In her post on X, Argamani thanked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for fighting and risking their lives to save the hostages. She also thanked the U.S. government, which she said “opened its doors to me and was always there to listen,” and gave shout-outs to White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trump, who she called “exceptional.”

Lishay Miran-Lavi also gave Trump and his team credit for reuniting her family. Her husband, Omri Miran, was taken captive on Oct. 7, 2023, from the safe room in their home in front of her and their two daughters, Roni and Alma. At the time of Omri’s kidnapping, his daughter Alma was just six months old and had only known his face from hostage posters.

“Roni and Alma ran into their father’s arms, and he heard them say ‘daddy’ again. That moment fulfilled the promise I made on October 7, and healed something words cannot describe,” Miran-Lavi wrote on X.

People gather in Hostages Square during a rally after Hamas accepted a peace deal to end the two-year war and return the hostages. (Dana Reany/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

“Thank you to President [Donald Trump] and the entire Trump Administration for their relentless efforts to bring Omri and the other hostages home. From the start you made our cause your mission, stood with the families, and never gave up,” Miran-Lavi wrote. “To [Steve Witkoff], the President’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and to [Jared Kushner], thank you for your dedication, compassion, and persistence through every stage of this journey.”

Miran-Lavi also thanked Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his “conviction and diplomacy, for ensuring the hostages and their families never left the agenda and for leading with strength and humanity.”

Additionally, Miran-Lavi recognized the efforts of the senior members of the administration who were “available to us around the clock” and ensured the White House doors were open to the hostages’ families “at all times.”

“Their determination and dedication brought us to this long-awaited moment.”

People wave Israeli and American flags in Hostages Square during a rally supporting hostages and missing families following the Israel-Hamas peace deal. (Dana Reany/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Several hostages’ loved ones also thanked Trump and his administration during a news conference on Tuesday, including Viki Cohen, mother of Nimrod Cohen; Anat Angrest, mother of Matan Angrest; Iair Horn, a captivity survivor and brother of Eitan Horn; and Dani Miran, father of Omri Miran. 

At another news conference at a different medical center in Israel, Macabit Mayer — the aunt of Gali and Ziv Berman — their brother, Liran Berman, and Miri Ben Ami, the mother of Yosef Chaim Ohana, all thanked Trump.

On Monday, hours after the hostages were freed, Trump addressed Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset.

“This week, against all odds, we have done the impossible and brought our hostages home,” Trump said.

During his presidential campaign last year, Trump promised to bring the hostages home and end the war. Over the first 10 months of his presidency, Israel saw multiple rounds of hostage releases, culminating in Monday’s release of the last 20 living hostages.