Families of hostages held by Hamas welcomed the new agreement signed to ensure their return, describing this development as an “important and meaningful step” towards bringing all prisoners back home.

In a statement published on X platform, the Hostages Families Forum said the agreement will allow living hostages to return to their families, and the deceased to be returned to Israel for proper burial.

The statement said: “This represents an important and meaningful step towards bringing everyone home, but our struggle is not over and will not end until the last hostage returns.”

In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on the first phase of his peace plan. The families expressed gratitude to Trump and his team, praising their “leadership and determination” in achieving what they described as a “historic breakthrough.”

According to Israeli reports, about 48 hostages remain held in the Gaza Strip, including 20 who are alive.

The forum emphasized that the Israeli government must convene immediately to ratify the agreement, warning that any delay could cost the hostages and Israeli soldiers dearly.

The statement also said: “Our moral and national duty is to bring them all back, both the living and the dead, as their return is essential for the healing and recovery of the entire Israeli society. We will not rest until the last hostage returns home.”