Every hostage must be released, immediately and unconditionally,’’ said Kaja Kallas.

‘’It was extremely moving to sit down with the families of hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza,’’ wrote EU’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas on X following her meeting on Tuesday with a delegation of families of Israeli hostages in Brussels.

’To not know the fate of your loved ones is unbearable. Every hostage must be released, immediately and unconditionally,’’ she added.

The meeting came as a deal to release the hostages still held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza is said to be ‘’imminent.’’

The delegation of families was in Brussels for meetings with EU and Belgian officials and to call on the European Union to put pressure on the parties to ensure that a deal ends with the release of all the hostages.

It is believed that 94 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34 confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas is also holding two Israeli civilians who entered the Gaza Strip in 2014 and 2015, as well as the bodies of two IDF soldiers who were killed in 2014.

“We hope that we are now reaching an agreement, but this is only the beginning, and now the EU has to be more involved to ensure that it is successful and to exercise its power, to be very clear, on the need to ensure that every single hostage is returned,” said Udi Goran at a press conference organized by Europe Israel Press Association (EIPA). A member of the Forum of Families of Hostages, Goran is the cousin of Tal Haimi, from kibbutz, Nir Yitzhak, who was murdered on October 7 attack.

‘’While the signing of a deal would be a “very joyful culmination to these 15 hellish months, for families, it would only be the beginning of the journey, as it will be weeks, if not months, before their loved ones return.’’

“Even if an agreement is reached tomorrow, and we hope with all our hearts that it will be, the war will only end and recovery can only begin when the last hostage returns home,” he added. For him, the return of all hostages is a necessary condition for peace in the Middle East.

“Regardless of any vision for the Middle East, any resolution, any hope or future, it all begins with ending the hostage crisis,” said Goren.

On the concrete actions expected from the European Union, he cited as examples ensuring that supplies arriving in Gaza do not end up in the hands of Hamas. that the Rafah crossing is not used for arms trafficking to terrorist groups or that the funds it gives to UNWRA – the UN organisation for Palestinian refugees – are used to combat radicalisation.

‘’The EU must put forth its power and be vocal about bringing every single hostage back,” said Gilad Korngold, father of Tal Shoham, who is still held captive in Gaza.

“The Middle East needs stability, and Europe is directly interested in this. It’s time to sit at the table and take action,” Korngold stated.

‘’The EU could contribute to post-conflict rebuilding efforts and help ensure humanitarian aid reaches its intended recipients, which would stabilise the region and address root causes of the ongoing conflict,’’ he said.

Korngold emphasized that arounds 20 hostages have dual Israeli-EU citizenship. ”Myself and my son we are also Austrian citizens,” he explained.

Yotam Cohen, whose brother Nimrod, an IDF soldier, remains hostage, stressed that the “only way” to achieve a broad and lasting agreement for all hostages to leave Gaza is “external pressure,” including on the Israeli government. He criticised him for his lack of information on the status of the hostages and for not having facilitated agreements for their release.

“We hope that the Europeans will join forces with the Americans to put pressure on both sides,” said Cohen.

He expressed hope to see soon his brother back home. ‘’If this happens, it’s thanks to Donald Trump.’’ ‘’Netanyahu is afraid of Trump who wants this to end and he told this very firmly to Netanyahu.’’

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Hamas had accepted a draft ceasefire deal, however, the government in Jerusalem has not yet confirmed that an agreement has been finalized.
The proposed three-phase deal would include the release of 33 hostages—including women, children, elderly individuals and wounded civilians—over a 42-day period, in exchange for potentially hundreds of Palestinian terrorists detained by Israel, according to the AP report.