Families of American hostages held in Gaza by Hamas are urging President Trump to leverage his “tough” reputation to pressure both adversaries and allies, specifically Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Among the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza, at least 24 are believed to be alive. This includes , an American-Israeli who is now 21 years old and has spent two birthdays in captivity.

Itay Chen, 19, Omer Neutra, 21, Judy Weinstein Haggai, 70, and her husband, Gadi Weinstein, 73, are presumed dead after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel, with their bodies taken into Gaza.

Adi Alexander, father of Edan, directly appealed to Trump, stating, “I believe that the president is a very tough person, and he should be tough with the enemies and with friends as well,” referencing .

Alexander, alongside his wife, Yael, recounted their request for the president to hold everyone accountable, following the collapse of the second phase of a ceasefire in March, which led to Israel’s resumption of military operations, much to the dismay of mediators.

The families also implored Trump to keep “on a short leash” and expedite his return to negotiations to halt the conflict.

As Trump marked his 100th day in office, the families of the five American hostages called on him to reassess his strategy and exert pressure on both Israel and Hamas through economic and diplomatic channels to secure their .

“With the election results, we had such high hopes,” Ruby Chen, , told reporters on Wednesday. “We know he cares about the topic, and we saw, even before the inauguration, his comments on the topic with the ‘hell to pay’ and ‘all the hostages need to come out.’”

“But I think the 100-day mark that we are at this moment, I think it’s a good time to reflect and say that the job’s not done,” Chen, accompanied by his wife, Hagit Chen, added.

Trump’s past suggestion of turning the into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has caused international concern. Fears are growing that ongoing discussions in Washington about potentially displacing Palestinians, coupled with Israel’s continued military actions, may deter Hamas from releasing the hostages, which they see as leverage.

are intensifying from Palestinians for the return of all hostages, to allow discussions on a post-conflict plan, as Palestinian civilians continue to suffer the consequences of the ongoing war.

“It’s easy rhetoric to say that Hamas won’t hold their side of the deal,” Orna Neutra, , told reporters. “If they don’t hold their side of the deal, then [Netanyahu] can return to hostilities.

“But let’s allow them to release all hostages and see if that happens or not instead of just saying they won’t do it,” she added, suggesting it could be another point of leverage for the Trump administration.

While the families are careful to avoid getting entangled in political debates, they stress the critical need for a clear strategy to first ensure the release of all remaining hostages, before addressing any plans for the future.

Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has proposed the possibility of Hamas becoming politically active in the Gaza Strip, contingent on their complete disarmament.

“I think the best approach will be just to call for both parties to rise above politics, although it will be very difficult with Hamas, which is politically struggling to survive in this region, but definitely to call on [the] Israeli government to rise above politics,” Alexander said. “Do not think about politically surviving and prioritize human life.”

The families cited Israeli polling data indicating that almost 70% of Israelis support ending military operations against Hamas to secure the return of the hostages, who have been held for over 573 days. This includes approximately 48% of Netanyahu’s coalition base, while 39% of his conservative base reportedly oppose this strategy, and 13% remain uncertain.

Despite their frustration with the Israeli government’s perceived lack of support and communication compared to the Biden and Trump administrations, the families emphasized that Hamas is the primary adversary. This terrorist organization captured, and in some cases killed, their loved ones and continues to hold them captive.

“Just to be clear, Hamas is the enemy,” said Neutra, sitting next to her husband, Ronen. “Hamas committed these atrocious crimes. They’re holding on to our family members. We don’t want to see them continue to be a threat to Israel.

“But it’s about priority, and it’s about being in the situation for 19 months now,” she added.

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