A delegation of 26 Israeli hostage survivors, released in the latest agreement with Hamas, arrived at the White House in Washington on Thursday evening. They were joined by several survivors freed in earlier deals, all coming to personally thank U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in securing their release.

The delegation included nearly all hostages who had been held for more than two years, with the exception of Alon Ohel, Maxim Harkin, and Rom Breslavsky, who remained in Israel.

In an emotional address, Trump told the freed hostages:
“You are no longer hostages today — you are heroes, truly heroes.”
The room erupted in applause.

Trump Praises Survivor Matan Angrest

Trump singled out former captive Matan Angrest, noting the extreme violence he endured as a soldier in Hamas captivity:
“He went through real hell… But he did not break. Matan is a living testament to the resilience of the Jewish people.”

The president presented each survivor with the Presidential Challenge Coin, a tradition symbolizing honor and appreciation bestowed by U.S. presidents.

The attendees included:
Noa Argamani, Elkana Bohbot, Avitan Or, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Eitan Horn, Eviatar David, Yair Horn, Nimrod Cohen, Keith Siegel, Aviva Siegel, Ilana Grichevsky, Matan Tsengauker, Matan Engerst, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, David Kunio, Sharon Aloni-Kunio and her children Emma and Yuli, Ariel Kunio, Arbel Yehud, Yosef Haim Ohana, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran and Eitan Mor.

Ahead of the meeting, the survivors issued a statement calling for ongoing public pressure:
“The struggle is not over. There are still families living the nightmare we lived. It is not over until everyone returns.”

They urged the public to join Saturday night’s mass rally.

Photos, Prayers and Gifts from the Survivors

Hostage survivor Bar Kuperstein posted a photo with Trump while wearing a kippah printed with the president’s image.
“This is a victory for an entire people… Thank you America, thank you Donald Trump,” he wrote.

During the White House meeting:

• Gali and Ziv Berman gifted Trump the charred mezuzah from the door of their home in the Dor Tza’ir neighborhood of their kibbutz — the home from which they were kidnapped.

• Eitan Mor presented Trump with a dreidel (savivon) for the upcoming Hanukkah holiday.
  In an accompanying letter, his father Zvika wrote:
  “Our deepest gratitude for your uncompromising leadership… Our children were held in Gaza for 738 endless days.”

Trump Offered a Special Plane

Although Trump offered to send a dedicated aircraft to fly the survivors to Washington, Israel insisted on covering and managing the trip.
The delegation flew on a commercial Arkia flight to New York, then traveled by deluxe minibuses to Washington — a journey of 4–5 hours.

Senior U.S. Officials Also Met the Delegation

Prior to the White House ceremony, the group met with:

• Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a key architect of the deal

• U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick

• Jared Kushner, senior advisor and Trump’s son-in-law

The Israeli Embassy in Washington coordinated the meetings.

Trump’s 20-Point Plan and the Hostage Deal

President Trump led the hostage agreement with Hamas as part of his broader 20-point plan for the Gaza Strip.
On October 13, the last 20 living hostages were released. Trump delivered a ceremonial address in the Knesset during his rapid visit to Israel.

However, Hamas later violated the terms of the agreement, releasing 25 deceased hostages instead of the immediate release initially agreed upon.

As of now, three hostages remain in captivity:

• Maj. Gen. Ran Goyali

• Dror Or

• Sontisek Rintalk

“Until Everyone Returns”

Despite the emotional celebration at the White House, the survivors emphasized that their mission is not complete.
“We came to close our circle, but others are still living this nightmare,” they said.
“We won’t stop until every last hostage is home.”