December 01, 2023
Don’t Lose Focus on U.S. Hostages in Gaza
Omer Neutra. Hersh Goldberg Polin. Itay Chen.
These are the latest names in an anguished history of U.S. citizens detained by terrorists and hostile adversaries. In this case, 11 American citizens were kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7—the largest single group of Americans held hostage overseas since the 1979 Tehran embassy siege—and more than 30 Americans murdered. President Biden’s strong advocacy yielded the release of hostages over the past week, including four-year-old American Abigail Idan, but at least eight US hostages remain imprisoned in Gaza—“buried alive” in the words of one mother.
A rare point of agreement across administrations and political parties is the sacred duty to return Americans from unlawful captivity
The families rightly fear that attention will shift elsewhere, and there is frustration that the majority of U.S. hostages, despite the Biden administration’s zealous engagement over the last six weeks, remain in captivity. There are several steps US officials, particularly on Capitol Hill, can take to help the U.S. hostages in Gaza and protect Americans everywhere.
Read the full article from The Liberal Patriot.
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