Former check says that Trump can bring home all those still captive in gas

An American Israeli man who was captured by Hamas said BBC that US President Donald Trump has power to release the rest of the hostages and stop the war.

Keith Zigel, 66, was abducted from Kibzutsa Aza during attacks on Israel on Israel on October 7, 2023. It was released in February after 484 days in captivity under the ceasefire, which Trump helped the broker just before joining.

He was taken away with his wife Aviv, who took 51 days before being released during the previous ceasefire.

Mr. Zigel spoke before the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump at the White House on Monday night.

In an interview in Tel -Aviv, he thanked Trump for ensuring his own release and said that the president could do the same for the remaining 50 hostages, up to 20 of which are allegedly alive.

“I believe that it has a great power, force and ability to pressure those that need to be put on, on both sides to get an agreement, sign a deal and return all hostages and bring it to war,” he said.

Trump said he hoped that a new deal with the ceasefire and release of hostages will be agreed this week, but it seems that there are still significant gaps between Israel and Hamas.

According to the Palestinian official, both sides resumed indirect talks on Sunday, but they ended in three hours without a breakthrough.

Before he flew to Washington, Netanyahu said he believed his meeting with Trump could “be sure to advance that we all hope.”

It is believed that the plan includes a chess release of 10 live hostages and organs from 18 dead hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Hamas said on Friday that he had put a “positive response”. But the Palestinian official stated that he demanded several changes, including the US guarantee that the hostilities would not resume if the negotiations at the end of the war could not – the idea of ​​Netanyahu had previously rejected.

Mr. Zigel described brightly how Hamas members beat and mocked him, and said he still did not rest the cattle of the woman he witnessed.

He said Hamas operatives moved him through the streets of Gaza, sometimes in daylight, 33 different places during his captivity.

Asked if he would support the deal that released the hostages, but saw Hamas remained in Gaza, he replied: “This is the highest priority and urgency to return all 50 hostages as soon as possible.”

But he continued: “We cannot let Hamas continue to threaten and kill and kill people, and I think Hamas is responsible for death on both sides.”

Gaza Hamas’s Ministry of Health says that more than 57,000 people were killed there since Israel launched hostilities in response to October 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 251 others took the hostage.

I asked Mr. Zigel if he continues to campaign for the release of the rest of the hostages, whether his thoughts also focus on the suffering of the gas population.

“I believe that peace and security for all people and freedom …” These are the basic human rights that every person deserves, “he said.

“I think this is the responsibility for the whole leadership to ensure that it will happen. Any innocent person who has suffered, killed or killed is what I hope or I will not happen.”