A senior Qatari representative met on Thursday with one of the families whose children were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Avihai Brodetz’s wife Hagar and three children, Ofri, Yuval, and Oriya, were kidnapped by Hamas from Kfar Aza during the assault. Brodetz met with the Qatari representative on Thursday in the first such meeting between a Qatari official and family members of the hostages being held by Hamas.
Brodetz thanked the Qatari representative for his efforts to free the hostages, saying “As a parent, a father of three children held by Hamas in Gaza, I hope Qatar will continue its efforts to immediately return my wife and three children, and more than 30 children held hostage by Hamas, home."
Brodetz stressed that "more than 30 children have been held hostage for 20 days, every minute feels like hell."
Qatar has been central in the efforts to reach a hostage release deal. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al-Thani said on Wednesday that he hoped to see breakthroughs on the issue “soon.”
Father of kidnapped children meets with Congressmembers
Brodetz also held meetings with Congressmembers, including Ralph Neider, Tom Cotton, John Fetterman, Chris Coons, Chuck Schumer, and Jackie Rosen.
The Congressmembers expressed deep shock at Hamas’s attack and stressed that they would do everything in their power to get the children and the other hostages released.
The delegation to the US was accompanied by businessmen Eytan Stibbe and Guy Aharon as part of an international initiative to get the children released.