A group of seven people who were freed from Hamas’ captivity are traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. officials.
Eli Sharabi, Doron Steinbrecher, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Naama Levy, Omer Shem Tov, and Iair Horn are scheduled to have a meeting with representatives from the Trump administration, as reported by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
The released hostages will express their gratitude to the Trump administration for the president’s commitment to bringing all the hostages home.
The group will provide firsthand testimony about their experiences in Hamas’ tunnels.
Keith Siegel, together with his wife Aviva, were seen arriving via a military helicopter at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center on February 1, 2025. This image was captured by Getty Images.
On Sunday, it was declared by Israeli authorities that all shipments and supplies to the Gaza Strip would be halted, with a warning to Hamas of potential consequences if they do not agree to a new proposal for an extended period of peace. An Israeli official mentioned that the choice to cease aid was taken together with the Trump administration.
The White House backed the move by Israel, saying that the Jewish State has “negotiated in good faith since the beginning of this administration to ensure the release of hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists.”
The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which included an uptick in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday. The two sides have not yet negotiated the second phase, in which Hamas was called to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli pullout and a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli officials also said on Sunday that they support a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover, or April 20. They said the proposal came from the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Under that deal, Hamas would release half the hostages on the first day and the remainder when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, according to Netanyahu’s office.
In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli also pulled back forces from most of Gaza and allowed a surge of humanitarian aid to enter the region.
The war began when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and abducting more than 251. Hamas still has 59 hostages, 32 of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s offensive into Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run government’s Gaza Health Ministry. It does not specify how many of the dead were terrorists or civilians.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
