About half of the hostages who were returned to Israel last week met on Tuesday morning in Tel Aviv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and top White House adviser Jared Kushner, who were instrumental in securing their release from Gaza.
The former captives at the meeting were Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn, all of whom were recently released from the hospital.
Each of the released hostages spoke privately with Witkoff, some handing him a gift to show their appreciation, others hugging him.
“This is my husband,” said Lishay Miran Lavi, introducing Miran to Witkoff, as the three laughed.
During the gathering, the former hostages urged Witkoff and Kushner to help bring back the bodies of all 15 deceased hostages remaining in Gaza, while Witkoff reaffirmed the United States’ steadfast dedication to the mission and expressed his confidence in the ability carry it out, according to the Hostages Forum statement from the meeting.
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The nine former hostages at the meeting were among the final 20 living hostages who were released last week under the ceasefire deal with Gaza.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meet with released hostages Omri Miran, Gal Berman, Ziv Berman, Yosef Chaim Ohana, Matan Angrest, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, and Eitan Horn in Tel Aviv, October 21, 2025. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
While Hamas also agreed to release the remaining bodies of hostages killed and abducted during the terrorist organization’s October 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel or who died in captivity, it still holds 15 bodies, claiming that it needs time and special equipment to locate them.
Witkoff and Kushner were instrumental in securing the deal, with the former meeting directly with Hamas leaders to convince them to sign it.
Following the meeting, one of the released hostages, Matan Angrest, also paid a visit to the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, which has been a focal point for the public campaign to bring back the hostages.
Angrest walked around the square, examining the flyers and posters featuring the hostages, looking at a giant banner that bore his own image and the details of his capture on October 7, and information about his life before the Hamas terrorist attack.
The former soldier stood in front of a mock Hamas tunnel recreated in the square to raise awareness about the hostages, and held up a poster with the image of Itay Chen, a soldier who served in the same tank and was killed and taken hostage on October 7, and whose body is still held in Gaza.
Released hostage Matan Angrest looks at a poster of himself at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 21, 2025 (Hostages Family Forum)
Angrest shared a message, according to the Hostages Forum, promising to do everything in his power to help bring all the hostages home.
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