January 18, 2025
Our hearts are with the hostages and their families, who have endured over one year and three months of unimaginable pain and uncertainty since the atrocities of October 7, 2023. We hope the agreement, which would see the release of hostages begin on Sunday, January 19, 2025 will become a reality. Each life freed from the clutches of terrorists is vital and precious, and we pray that every single one of the 98 hostages will come home to their families.
We also recognize the complexity of this deal and the many challenges that lie ahead. Hostages are to be released in multiple stages. Further negotiations between Israel and Hamas will be required to free all of them and end this war, which has been horrific for Israelis and Palestinians alike. The release of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli prisons, including many with blood on their hands, will be a deeply painful price to pay.
StandWithUs thanks both the current and incoming U.S. administrations for their efforts to secure the release of the hostages. Going forward, we call on the international community to support Israel as it defends itself against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran's regime, and others who seek its destruction. Those who will be involved in the reconstruction of Gaza must help prevent Hamas from rearming, so that the devastation of the October 7th War does not repeat itself. Israelis and Palestinians deserve the chance to rebuild their lives, free from the genocidal hatred and violence Hamas represents.
We stand with the people of Israel, Jewish communities around the world, and the families of the hostages, waiting for all of them to finally come back home.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT STANDWITHUS
StandWithUs (SWU) is a 23-year-old international non-partisan education organization that inspires people of all ages about Israel, challenges misinformation and fights against antisemitism.
StandWithUs empowers people around the world to educate others through social media, print and digital materials in different languages, through educational programs and conferences, weekly newsletters, data and analytics, and missions to Israel.
It takes legal action through the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department. It empowers hundreds of student leaders annually through its college Fellowship and high school Internship. SWU provides schools and educators with vital tools through its IsraelLINK middle school program, Holocaust Education Center, and K-12 Fairness Center.
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Los Angeles, StandWithUs has chapters throughout the U.S., Israel, Canada, the UK, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa.
For the last thirteen years, StandWithUs has consistently received the highest possible ratings from Charity Navigator and GuideStar, two charity watchdog groups that assess over a million charities in the United States. This puts StandWithUs in the top 3% of charities ranked for their transparency and accountability.
Comments