WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As the one-year anniversary of the hostage crisis approaches, families of Americans held in Gaza are continuing to plead for their release.
“It’s a fate that I would not wish upon an enemy,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said.
Dekel-Chen is the father of Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 35-year-old American husband and father, who was taken hostage.
During an event at the National Press Club on Wednesday, the families of seven American hostages shared stories about their loved ones and called on the Biden administration to do more.
“We are, to the degree that we can as private citizens, are going to be urging the U.S. government to rethink perhaps the approach and rethink how pressure can be applied to both sides,” Dekel-Chen said.
The families of the hostages are expected to meet with lawmakers and senior administration officials in Washington, D.C. this week.
They emphasized that the U.S. has been communicative, but there is continued concern with Hamas and the Israeli government reaching a deal.
“It’s unacceptable. It’s almost a year and it’s time. We have to get them back,” Ronen Neutra said. “Almost a year later, we haven’t seen our children, our husbands, and sisters and grandfathers coming back. And we’re urging the administration to think out of the box and to come up with a strategy that will enforce both sides Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement that is so much needed.”
Neutra’s 22-year-old son, Omer, is an American member of the IDF who was defending the Gaza border on Oct. 7.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in Egypt, which is a partner with the U.S. in efforts to mediate the Gaza war.
Blinken said recent surprise escalations threaten to “derail” ceasefire talks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
