US hostage families tell WH they're frustrated with lack of progress in hostage negotiations

The families of the remaining American hostages in Gaza met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and then with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday in Washington. The meetings followed a media event at the National Press Club on their 13th advocacy trip to the capital since the October 7 massacre.

“The families shared a number of ideas with Sullivan to help bring the hostage crisis to an end,” a statement from a group representing the families said. “They also discussed intensifying efforts with Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and other regional powers to press Hamas and Israel to reach an agreement. The families expressed frustration with the lack of tangible progress and stressed that everyone needs to play a larger role in reaching an agreement that ensures the hostages’ safe return.”

Sullivan stressed the administration’s “unwavering commitment to bringing the Americans home and reiterated that resolving this crisis is a top priority for President [Joe] Biden,” the statement said.

Yellen “reaffirmed Treasury’s commitment to continue targeting Hamas’s key sources of revenue, using all available tools and authorities, as well as encouraging similar action from our allies and partners,” according to a statement from her office.

The Treasury has a “long-standing focus on countering the financing of terrorism and preventing terrorist organizations – including Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist proxy groups – from exploiting the US and international financial systems,” she said.

Financing terrorism

Yellen provided the families an overview of the Treasury’s efforts to increase pressure on Hamas and disrupt its international financial networks, including closely monitoring the group’s efforts to seek other sources of revenue.

Meanwhile, negotiations are said to be taking place regarding an alternative, single-stage hostage and ceasefire deal involving the release of all hostages and the exile of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israeli media outlets reported Thursday. The Jerusalem Post was unable to confirm the status of such a deal or its contents.

The proposed deal includes the release of all hostages, a safe passage for Sinwar and others who choose to leave, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, the demilitarization of Gaza through a control mechanism, and an end to the war, KAN News reported.

“Due to difficulties in negotiations and the ticking clock regarding the hostages’ lives, we wish to propose a secondary plan that would shorten the stages and allow for a faster agreement,” an Israeli security official told KAN News. “This will happen if Sinwar leaves and ends the war. It will also help us achieve the goals of the war while enabling the Hamas leadership in Gaza to leave safely.”

In an interview last week with Bloomberg, Israel’s chief negotiator for the hostages and missing persons, Gal Hirsch, mentioned the idea of offering Sinwar safe passage out of Gaza in exchange for the 101 hostages held by the terrorist group. Hirsch also met with the hostages’ families, KAN News reported.

Following the meeting, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it welcomed “Netanyahu’s new plan: a one-phase deal and an end to the fighting. A deal that releases all 101 hostages at once is the hope of every Israeli citizen, especially the hostages’ families. This proposal strengthens Israel’s security and opens the door to a comprehensive regional solution. Presented in Washington to Arab leaders, it has already received positive feedback.”

The Tikva Forum of Hostages’ Families said: “Only a single-stage deal can bring ALL the hostages home. No other deal is feasible and could lead to their murder. We support the prime minister and urge him to proceed with determination to advance this deal based on the outline shared in the media.”

The Tikva Forum had previously pushed for increased military pressure by the IDF as the only solution and has opposed a deal with Hamas.