B’nai B’rith and other leading Jewish organizations welcomed the release of all remaining living hostages from Gaza, expressing profound relief and sorrow while stressing that Hamas must be held fully accountable and that true peace requires more than just a promise on paper. Read more at JNS.org and the European Jewish Press.

“As we welcome this moment of light after so much darkness, we remain deeply concerned about Hamas’s commitment to abide by the full terms of a peace agreement,” the leaders of B’nai B’rith said.

U.S. Jewish organizations issued statements expressing gratitude for the liberated living hostages on Monday morning, while also noting that Hamas has yet to return the remains of people whom it murdered and that more work remains to ensure that the terror group can never again repeat an attack like Oct. 7.

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Robert Spitzer and Daniel S. Mariaschin, president and CEO respectively of B’nai B’rith International, stated that the nonprofit “welcomes with profound relief and emotion the long-awaited return of 20 living hostages kidnapped and held by Hamas for two agonizing years.”

“Their freedom is a moment of immense joy mixed with deep sorrow—joy for the hostages for surviving to return home and joy for the families finally reunited. Yet profound sorrow for the trauma endured by those who suffered so greatly in captivity and by the loved ones of those who will never return,” the two leaders said. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families of those hostages killed by Hamas, and we await the return of the 28 remains of those killed by Hamas and held these last two years.”

“For two long years, these human beings were held in horrific conditions, often with little outcry from the international community,” the B’nai B’rith leaders said. “Their courage and endurance are a testament to the human spirit and to the unbreakable resilience of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

They added that “as we welcome this moment of light after so much darkness, we remain deeply concerned about Hamas’s commitment to abide by the full terms of a peace agreement.”

“History has shown that Hamas’s words too often mask continued violence and deception,” they said. “The world must not turn away now. It must hold Hamas fully accountable, for the physical and mental condition of the freed hostages and for the two years of war unleashed by Hamas after its barbaric attack against Israel.”

“The international community must ensure that peace is more than just a promise on paper,” they added. “We also express our gratitude to President Donald Trump and all of the negotiators for getting us to this moment. We remain committed to working for a future where no family must again endure such pain.”