Trenton - This week marks 700 days since October 7th, 2023, when the Israeli festival of Simhat Torah was interrupted by a terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas. The perpetrators murdered over 1200 innocent people, and kidnapped over 250. Among the thousands of victims killed, kidnapped, and brutalized that day were women, children, and the elderly, and included Edan Alexander of Tenafly (released in May 2025). Hamas continues to hold nearly 50 hostages in Gaza, including the remains of two murdered Americans.

“Hamas has now been holding innocent civilians hostage for nearly two years,” said Karin Elkis, Co-Chair of the NJ Israel Commission. “We insist that every single captive must come home, if we are to realize an end to the suffering endured by Israeli and American families and communities affected by October 7th. Bring them home now!”
“Our commission reiterates, as we have every single day since October 7th, the imperative that the hostages need to be returned immediately,” said Mark Levenson, Co-Chair of the NJ Israel Commission. “Every additional day that the crisis persists emboldens terrorists and puts innocent lives at risk. Enough is enough.”
During their captivity, hostages have been held in unknown locations throughout Gaza and prohibited from communicating with their families, the Israeli government, or any foreign observers. According to the independently verified testimony of released hostages and autopsies of recovered remains, hostages are regularly subjected to physical abuse, psychological torture, malnutrition, isolation, and sexual assault. Food, humanitarian aid, and medicine are deliberately withheld from the hostages.

About the New Jersey Israel Commission:
The New Jersey-Israel Commission, which operates within the New Jersey Department of State, was established in 1989 to promote the development of trade, culture and educational exchanges; encourage the development of capital investment and joint business ventures; and foster a spirit of cooperation between the citizens of the State of Israel and the State of New Jersey. New Jersey-Israel trade in goods accounted for approximately $1.7 billion annually, and thousands of jobs for New Jersey residents.

Media inquiries: Josh Berliner at the NJ Israel Commission josh.berliner@sos.nj.gov