Nizar Zakka, president of Hostage Aid, an organization comprising former hostages from around the world, sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the critical issue of global hostage-taking and his organization’s tireless efforts to combat it.
Zakka, himself a Lebanese-born survivor of a four-year ordeal as a hostage in Iran, shared his profound insights, from the devastating impact on families to the threat posed to the global community, and the urgent need for open and decisive global action.
Zakka’s commitment to the cause of the hostages is deeply personal, rooted in his own harrowing experience.
“I was kidnapped in Iran and spent two years blindfolded in solitary confinement, then two more years in prison,” he recounted.
Zakka was invited to speak at a conference on women’s empowerment in Tehran in 2015, with the invitation extended by the country’s vice president himself.
“I made the speech, but on my way back to the airport, I was kidnapped,” he remembered.
An expert on the issue of telecommunications, Zakka explained that the timing of his capture was significant, since it coincided with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear deal) talks and the Obama administration’s attempts at rapprochement with Iran, which also sought to make the Islamic Republic more open.
“They took me to send a message to technology industries such as Cisco, who were making their way into Iran, to stop what they were doing,” Zakka said, highlighting the use of hostage-taking as a political tool.
In this context, Zakka shared an important observation he made while speaking to freed hostages from Gaza. “From what they told me, it all sounds almost 100% like the techniques applied by the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] during my time in captivity. It almost feels like they were the ones who trained them on this issue. I don’t think people realize this enough.”
After his release in 2019, described as a “goodwill gesture” toward the Trump administration, Zakka was determined to prevent others from suffering a similar fate.
“When I came out of my own captivity, I wanted to make sure that what happened to me won’t happen to anyone else,” he stated firmly, explaining that this experience is what ultimately led him to establish Hostage Aid.
‘Two-thirds of the world’s hostages are in Gaza’
Hostage Aid, under Zakka’s leadership, has developed what he described as “the largest database of hostage-taking around the world,” with data from 1997 and beyond. He hopes that this comprehensive resource will allow the organization to analyze patterns and predict potential hotspots for hostage-taking incidents, including with the use of AI systems.
According to the organization, the hostages in Gaza comprise an astonishing two thirds of the world’s hostages. In addition to the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, other notorious groups involved in hostage-taking include Boko Haram in Nigeria, ISIS, Abu Sayyaf in East Asia, and even Hezbollah in Iraq.
Hostage Aid categorizes hostage situations into two main types: those involving state actors, and those involving non-state actors. According to Zakka, this distinction helps in understanding the diverse nature of the problem and in developing targeted strategies to address each type.
In this context, Zakka described the kidnappings in Gaza as a turning point in the history of hostage-taking. “What happened in Gaza is a game changer for all those actors who are keen on taking hostages to make gains,” he warned, his tone grave. “Two hundred fifty people were taken in one shot. Next time, we believe it could be 1,000 or 2,000, if the world doesn’t stand firmly against this.”
Zakka emphasized the unprecedented nature of the event, not just in scale but in its international impact. “[Members of] 22 nationalities were taken hostage, yet none lifted a finger to save their own citizens!” he said, his frustration palpable. “This is a significant thing that happened. Why are they sitting and watching, as if their citizens were committing crimes? This will have serious repercussions for the future.”
In this context, Zakka expressed deep disappointment with the international community’s response to hostage situations so far, particularly since the October 7 massacre. He recounted his experiences addressing various international bodies, including the European Parliament and the UN, where he felt the focus was often misplaced.
“We went to the European Parliament and spoke to members, including those [from countries that] still have hostages in Gaza. Yet many of them just replied by asking us about schools and children and food in Gaza. There are other organizations that talk about these issues, but this is not at all our focus. We are talking about hostages, and they cannot and should not ever be considered a relevant part of the wider conflict,” Zakka exclaimed, emphasizing the need to maintain a clear focus on the immediate issue at hand.
He criticized the lack of attention given to hostages at international forums, including at a recent UN event on victims of terrorism.
“The UN organized this huge event regarding the victims of terrorism a couple of weeks ago, yet hostages in Gaza, which make up two-thirds of the world’s hostage population, received no mention whatsoever,” Zakka said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
The impact on families and the world
Throughout the interview, Zakka repeatedly returned to the devastating impact of hostage-taking on the families of victims. “Families of the hostages are being hammered again and again – by the terrorists, then by the governments of their respective nationalities, and then by the international community as a whole,” he said, his voice showing disappointment and empathy at the same time. “The harm is being multiplied every day.”
Drawing from his own experience and his work with Hostage Aid, Zakka painted a vivid picture of the anguish these families endure.
“Connecting with the families, you see how lost they are. Hostage families are the same around the world: nobody can get any information about their loved ones. I was looking at these families – their loved ones are in Gaza guarded by terrorists, while places around them are also being bombed as part of the war. It’s crazy. There’s no way to express these feelings,” he said.
“All these families are trying to do is to get their beloved ones back home,” he continued. “It’s a very simple issue: these people have nothing to do with any other issue and any other conflict. There are simply no labels for hostages. They all have the same voice and plight. Even if someone is trying to drag us into the political field and the conflict, they immediately feel bad for it, as soon as they understand the human plight.”
On the other hand, Zakka warned: “Once you start making swaps with too much of a high value and no punishment to the hostage takers, they understand this as a profitable business model that keeps on growing.”
He cited recent examples to illustrate his point: “Five Americans were essentially swapped for $6 billion with Iran. They got funding and concessions, so why should they stop? This model will not stop unless the world stands together firmly.”
Zakka added that he is aware that there are many other considerations in times of war. However, he stressed that releasing the hostages should be the first step, as they should not be related to the conflict in any way. “Our position is that the first mission is to get the hostages back, and only then do whatever you must do for deterrence.”
Throughout the interview, Zakka repeatedly emphasized the need for a unified global response to hostage-taking. “We must stand as humans together – it’s a human issue and a human rights issue,” he insisted. He also called for support in pushing for a UN resolution against hostage-taking, which he hopes to introduce to the UN General Assembly, adding that such a resolution “will impact the entire world” and help prevent future incidents. “The whole world must wake up,” he urged.
Sparks of hope
Despite the grim nature of the topic, Zakka found reasons for hope. He praised the resilience of hostage families and their ability to bring attention to the issue.
“I have much respect for the Israeli families,” he said, noting the tragic irony that many of the hostages were advocates of peace.
He also highlighted the support his organization has received from around the world, including from Jewish philanthropists in the US. This global solidarity, he believes, is crucial in the fight against hostage-taking. “I am against war and against many things that happened in this war, but in terms of hostages – this must be stopped now. You cannot link hostage-taking to anything else. The hostage-takers must be punished. I believe that the Israeli people and government must now bring back the lost focus on the hostage situation and push it internationally from a humanitarian point of view.”
As the interview concluded, Zakka’s message was clear and urgent: the world must wake up to the reality of hostage-taking and take decisive action to prevent it.
“Our objective is simple,” he stated, summing up his mission. “What happened here should never happen to anyone else. We want to make sure it’s addressed as the crime that it is – a crime against global citizens.”