With overwhelming emotion and satisfaction, we are witnessing the release and return of the hostages to Israel and into the arms of their families — a development achieved through the decisive contribution of U.S. President Donald Trump — after two nightmarish years of captivity in the underground tunnels of Gaza, in the hands of the ruthless Hamas terrorists who abducted them during the attack of October 7, 2023.
Two years of pain, loss, anxiety, and an unrelenting struggle for their return. Yet, along with the joy of welcoming the 20 hostages who have returned alive, the people of Israel bow in reverence to receive also the remains of another 28 hostages who were brutally murdered.
We, the Jews of Greece, share the tears of every mother, father, spouse, or child who has welcomed their loved ones back to the land of Israel —that now become the voice and hope of Israeli society as a whole, that today will mark the first step toward the implementation of President Trump’s plan for achieving peace in this long-suffering region of the Middle East.
Athens, October 13, 2025
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece