by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) — U.S. President Donald J. Trump met Thursday with a group of freed Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House, praising the survivors as “heroes” and vowing continued support for efforts to return remaining captives held in Gaza.
Trump met with 17 former hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas and released last month, as well as family members of several others. During the gathering, the president presented the survivors with a Presidential Challenge Coin, calling their release “a moment of national pride.”
“You’re not a hostage anymore — today you’re heroes,” Trump told the group. “We love you all, and our country loves you all. You’re amazing people.”
The event came as Trump expressed gratitude to organizations representing families of the captives, after supporters nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in efforts to help secure hostage releases.
SOLDIER RECOUNTS CAPTIVITY
Among those present was Matan Angrest, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier who was kidnapped while defending the Nahal Oz outpost, located just east of the Gaza Strip and only a few hundred meters from the border.
His mother told Israeli media earlier that her son endured “very severe torture” early in his captivity because he was a soldier.
“Because of his service in the IDF, Matan was subjected to severe beatings, even losing consciousness,” Trump said while standing beside him. “He went through hell… but he never broke. Today he’s a living testimony to the toughness, heart, and faith of the Jewish people.”
Israeli twins Gali and Ziv Berman, kidnapped from Kfar Aza on October 7, also attended and presented Trump with the original mezuzah from their family home — a small parchment scroll inscribed with biblical verses, traditionally placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes as a symbol of faith and divine protection.
GESTURE OF GRATITUDE
The Hostages Families Forum said the gesture was made “in gratitude for actions taken toward their release.”
“We came to thank the President of the United States,” the twins said in a statement. “At the same time, it’s important to remember that the mission is not yet complete. There are three deceased hostages still being held in Gaza. Until everyone returns, we cannot begin our rehabilitation as a society and as a nation.”
The pair also delivered a handwritten letter to Trump, calling the mezuzah “a symbol of protection and faith” salvaged from the devastation in their community, which suffered some of the deadliest attacks during the Hamas-led massacres of October 7, 2023.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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