Demonstrators protest for the release of Israelis held hostage in the Gaza Strip, outside Hakirya Base in Tel Aviv, March 5, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

(JTA) — If I found myself sitting across the table from one of the top leaders of Hamas, I don’t know if I would have been able to control my emotions and not try to kill him.

On Oct. 7, when I drove from Tel Aviv to the Gaza border area in order to save my family and their neighbors, I saw with my own eyes the cruelty, sadism and hatred of this evil terror organization.

But if someone had told me that by sitting across the table from these monsters, and negotiating with them instead of trying to kill them, I’d increase the likelihood of releasing our hostages from the dark tunnels of Gaza – I would absolutely do it, without any hesitation.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Not because I have any bit of sympathy for Hamas, but because after 17 months of war, it is time to put an end to the hostage crisis, and bring home all our people.

That’s why I felt hopeful when I read that senior members of the Trump administration were holding secret talks directly with Hamas in order to prolong the ceasefire and hostage release deal signed in January. This effort is under a politically motivated attack by certain members of the Netanyahu government. But if it succeeds in bringing back our hostages, all Israelis will be very grateful.

The United States has a long history of talking to the kind of people it usually tries to kill, when there’s a chance to save the lives of Americans caught in harm’s way. There’s no reason not to try this method with regards to the hostages held in Gaza.

During Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, our last prisoners of war came back home after eight months. Back then, Israel was a much smaller country, with a significantly weaker military. The fact that today, we still have hostages held by dangerous terrorists, after more than double that amount of time, is unacceptable. That’s why most Israelis believe we must prioritize the return of the hostages over all other goals at this point in time.

With President Trump in the White House, Israel will have four years to defeat our enemies, guarantee our security needs and reach historic peace agreements with friendly Middle Eastern countries. But our hostages don’t have all this time left. They can’t wait. We must save them now, first of all, and then move on to other missions.

On Oct. 7, I rushed to the Gaza border area, but had to stop again and again on my way to my son’s kibbutz – in order to fight terrorists, save people I met along the way, and evacuate wounded soldiers to safety. Only at the end of that very long day, I found out that two of my son’s neighbors were kidnapped by Hamas 10 minutes before I entered the gate of the kibbutz.

Those 10 minutes have haunted me every day since Oct. 7. I ask myself, could I have arrived sooner?

To President Trump’s negotiators, I say – don’t waste even a single minute. Make sure you talk to anyone, anywhere, if you believe it can save the hostages. The people of Israel support you.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount