RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Meeting with American Hostage Family Members and Members of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Brad Schneider (IL-10) met with American hostage family members of those taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Together, they discussed the importance of bringing all the hostages, including Americans, home now. 

The meeting marked day 207 of their captivity in Gaza by Hamas.

“For more than 200 days, these families have been living in fear as their loved ones, Americans, remain captured. As a father, I cannot even begin to comprehend what they have been going through, no family should ever have to experience this unfathomable pain. It blows my mind that this isn’t talked about every single day in this country,” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). “We have to make sure that Americans never forget that Americans are still being held hostage as we speak.”

American hostage family members in attendance include:

• Liz Naftali, great-aunt of released American hostage Abigail Mor Edan.
• Andrea Weinstein, sister of murdered American hostage Judy Weinstein and sister-in-law of murdered American hostage Gad Haggai.
• Ben Silvert, brother-in-law of murdered American hostages Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai.
• Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen.
• Gillian Kaye, stepmother of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen.

Below: Gottheimer, Hoyer, Wasserman Schultz, and Schneider with American hostage family members.