Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump hosted 17 freed Israeli hostages and their families at the White House on Thursday, marking one month since he helped broker their release from Hamas as part of his administration’s 20-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.
The former hostages, the last living captives held by Hamas in the two-year conflict, also met Wednesday with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“You’re not a hostage anymore. Today you’re heroes,” President Trump told the group, according to Fox News. “We love you all, and our country loves you all. You’re amazing people.”
Among those attending was Matan Angrest, captured while defending the Nahal Oz outpost. President Trump recounted the abuse Angrest endured in captivity.
“Because of service in the IDF, Matan was subjected to severe beatings, even at times losing consciousness,” he said. “And alone and under a special guard, he went through hell. I guess you really were. I’ve heard stories that were not good. Look at you, how good you look.”
Trump said Angrest’s resilience reflected “the toughness, heart and faith of the Jewish people,” calling him “a great inspiration to everybody, whether you’re Jewish or not.”
Twins Gali and Ziv Berman presented President Trump with a mezuzah taken from their home in the Young Generation neighborhood of Kfar Aza, along with a letter explaining its significance.
“This mezuzah was lovingly removed from the door of Gali’s room in our home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a community that endured unspeakable horrors on October 7, 2023,” the letter reads. “The mezuzah survived. Gali survived. And now, this sacred item is presented to you, for helping to save his life.”
The letter described the mezuzah as “a small yet powerful symbol of protection and faith,” offered “as a gesture of honor and appreciation for your actions in bringing back the hostages.” It added, “May it stand as an enduring testament to courage, to faith, and to the eternal friendship between our peoples.”
