President Donald Trump hosted a poignant gathering at Washington’s Capital One Arena on Monday, bringing together families of hostages still held by Hamas and those recently freed in an emotional victory celebration.
The event featured chants of "Bring them home" from the energized crowd, as families in yellow scarves holding photos of their loved ones filled the front rows. Trump invited them to the stage, where he expressed both gratitude and determination.
“The work begins. We won, but now we have to bring them home,” Trump said, addressing the ongoing efforts to secure the release of all captives. Referring to the harrowing experiences of freed hostages, he noted, “The three young ladies who came home - they were hurt. One had her fingers blown off while defending herself from a bullet. Can you believe this? A bullet.”
Expressing both sorrow and resolve, Trump added, “It’s a disgrace. We never stopped praying for you. We’re so glad you’re reunited with your friends and families. Some just want us to bring home their son’s body. It should have never happened.”
Trump criticized the circumstances leading to the October 7 attack, drawing sharp contrasts with his administration’s policies. “As you know, Israel would never have been hit on October 7. None of you would be up here, none of you would know this tragedy. Iran was broke. Nobody bought oil from Iran because they couldn’t do business with us. They had no money for Hamas or Hezbollah. Your sons would be alive, and they certainly wouldn’t be incarcerated like they are now,” he said, pledging, “But we’re getting a lot of people out in a short period of time.”
On Sunday, Trump celebrated the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari as part of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, calling it “a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East.”
* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.
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