Last month, President Donald J. Trump brokered a historic peace deal that set all remaining living Israeli hostages free. After years in Hamas captivity, these innocent people returned home to reunite with their families. On Thursday afternoon, Trump welcomed a large group of recently freed Israeli hostages and their families at the White House.

In a ceremony, Trump honored the former hostages as “heroes,” saying, “You’re not a hostage anymore…today you’re heroes.” He also personally handed each freed Israeli hostage a commemorative presidential challenge coin.

Among the hostages at Thursday’s event was Matan Angrest, who served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when he was kidnapped while defending the Nahal Oz outpost. His mother, Anat Angrest, told Channel 12 that her son was subjected to “very severe torture” at the beginning of his captivity because he was a soldier. Trump noted, “Matan never broke, and today he’s a living testimony to the toughness, heart, and faith of the Jewish people.”

Israeli twins Gali and Ziv Berman presented Trump with the original mezuzah from their home in Kfar Aza’s Young Generation neighborhood, where they were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023. They stated through the Hostages Families Forum: “We came to thank the President of the United States for the many actions he took toward our release.” The pair also gave Trump a letter, noting, “This mezuzah was lovingly removed from the door of Gali’s room in our home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a community that endured unspeakable horrors on October 7, 2023. The mezuzah survived. Gali survived. And now, this sacred item is presented to you, for helping to save his life.”

Trump expressed, “Our country loves you all. You’re amazing people.” The event highlighted the resilience of those who endured captivity and the ongoing mission to free remaining hostages.
“Until everyone returns, we cannot begin our rehabilitation as a society and as a nation,” the twins added.