Witkoff: Hostages’ reunions with families among ‘most meaningful moments of my life’

(Oct. 15, 2026 / JNS)

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday marked the first anniversary of the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages from Gaza, describing their reunions with their families as “one of the most meaningful moments of my life.”

The hostages were freed on Oct. 13, 2025, after 738 days in captivity.

In a post on X, Witkoff paid tribute to the hostages and their families, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner and mediators from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their efforts.

“Their return was a testament to the power of diplomacy, perseverance, and our shared humanity,” he wrote, pledging to continue working toward lasting peace.

Kushner on Tuesday marked the anniversary of the release of the final living Israeli hostages, recalling their reunions with their families as “one of the most special moments of my life.”

Kushner thanked Trump for his leadership in securing the captives’ release, also expressing gratitude to senior U.S. officials and leaders from Israel, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey who helped negotiate the agreement. “Above all, today belongs to the freed hostages and their families,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday that it had eliminated Momen Ahmad Salameh Ay, a commander in the “military wing” of the Hamas terror group, in an airstrike in the Gaza City area on Tuesday.

The IDF said Ay took part in holding hostages and served as an aide to commanders of Hamas’s Gaza Brigade.

“Recently, the terrorist advanced attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians and attempted to restore the terrorist organization’s capabilities, in systematic violation of the ceasefire,” the military stated.

Measures were taken to mitigate harm to noncombatants, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance, according to the statement.

IDF soldiers remain deployed in Gaza in accordance with the U.S.-brokered Oct. 10, 2025, ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove “any immediate threat,” it added.

Also on Wednesday, the IDF said that its 99th Division completed a four-month mission in the northern Gaza Strip, eliminating more than 100 terrorists and destroying roughly eight kilometers (five miles) of tunnels.

The IDF said those killed included terrorists who participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and held Israeli hostages captive.

Troops also destroyed an observation command center and other structures used to plan attacks against Israeli forces.

The 162nd Division will deploy to the northern Gaza Strip and replace the forces operating there, the IDF said.