Washington, DC — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the negotiated agreement to release 50 hostages captured by Hamas on October 7th over a four-day humanitarian ceasefire: 

“I welcome the agreement between Israel and Hamas that, once fully implemented, will see the release of 50 hostages over the course of a four-day temporary ceasefire, allowing these women and children to reunite with their loved ones. I commend the Administration’s tireless efforts to reach this agreement, as well as the Qatari and Egyptian governments for their partnership in these negotiations.

“The four-day ceasefire will allow additional vetted supplies to reach innocent Palestinians, an important step towards alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I remain hopeful that all measures of this deal will be fully implemented in the days to come, and that further negotiations will continue to secure the release of all remaining hostages captured on October 7th.

“It is past due and urgently necessary for Congress to pass a bipartisan emergency supplemental with funding for Israel’s defense, humanitarian relief, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Neither Israelis fighting to eliminate Hamas, Gazans running out of critical supplies, or Ukrainians preparing for a hard winter can afford to wait.”

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