Trump hosts freed Hamas captives at White House, hails them as 'heroes' | Watch

US President Donald Trump hosted nearly all the hostages freed by Hamas over the past month as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement his administration brokered in October.

Welcoming the former captives and their families at the White House, Trump told them, “You’re not a hostage anymore… today you’re heroes.” The group included 26 former hostages, among them 17 of the 20 surviving individuals released under the deal. Trump singled out Matan Angrest, an IDF soldier who was kidnapped while defending the Nahal Oz outpost.

Many of those present were among the last to be freed, emerging after 738 days in captivity. Trump highlighted Angrest’s ordeal, recounting how he was violently abused because of his military service.

“Because of service in the IDF, Matan was subjected to severe beatings, even at times losing consciousness,” Trump said. “He went through hell… Matan never broke, and today he’s a living testimony to the toughness, heart, and faith of the Jewish people.”
Trump presented each former hostage with a presidential challenge coin, while several survivors brought personal gifts for him, including Israeli twins Gali and Ziv Berman. They offered the mezuzah taken from their Kfar Aza home, which had survived the October 7, 2023, attack. In their message, they said the gesture was one of “deep respect and heartfelt gratitude.”

Ahead of the meeting, many of the former captives had expressed their intention to thank Trump for securing their release and urged him to maintain pressure on Hamas to return the remains of three deceased hostages still held in Gaza.