J Street Welcomes Long-Overdue, Much-Needed Hostage Release and Ceasefire Deal
January 19, 2025
The J Street community is overwhelmed with relief that the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal has gone into effect. We are overjoyed that three more hostages – Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari – are today safe in Israeli hands after being held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, 2023.
Starting with an immediate truce followed by the gradual release of 30 additional hostages over the next six weeks, the deal will grant a long-overdue reprieve to the surviving hostages and their families, and to Gazan families who have been trapped in a devastating war for more than 15 months. Now, the hard work begins to ensure this agreement holds and negotiations on the next phases succeed.
Even as we rejoice in this profound moment, we know extremists on both sides are already working to undermine this agreement. Hostage families have had their hopes crushed too many times before. Two million civilians in Gaza are struggling to survive in intolerable conditions. Families and communities in both Gaza and Israel need to rebuild and heal.
“Strong, clear-eyed American leadership is vital to ensure this agreement holds and advances to the next stages. We cannot return to the death, destruction and anguish of the past 471 days,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. “President-elect Trump has a historic opportunity to press both sides toward a lasting peace, remove Hamas’ hold on Gaza for good, normalize Israel’s relationships in the region and create a free, demilitarized Palestinian state that will make the Israeli people safer. If the dealmaker-in-chief has the resolve to get us there, he’ll have our full support.”
To be sure, it has taken far too long to arrive at this day. With the countdown toward the next agreement deadline starting immediately, what happens over the next 42 days is critical. It is now squarely on the Trump Administration to usher in a process that ensures the deal delivers. Each and every hostage must come home. The fighting must stop. Rockets must cease. Forces must pull back. Aid must flood in.
“The Trump Administration should continue to use all available US leverage to permanently end the war in Gaza, surge humanitarian aid and bring every hostage home,” said Ben-Ami. “The power is in the incoming administration’s hands to ensure this temporary calm is made permanent; and if they work towards peace, freedom and safety for all, we will support those efforts.”
