Father of American hostage in Gaza: He risked life to save others

(NewsNation) — As the world gets ready to mark a new year, eight American families will be mourning another month without their loved ones who are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of one of the Americans held hostage by Hamas, hopes by speaking out, his son will return home alive. Dekel-Chen says he’s proud of his son, Sagui, for fighting to defend the kibbutz from which he was captured.

“He and many other of the young men and not-so-young men on the kibbutz were willing and ready to risk their lives to do what they could to save as many lives as possible on that horrific day,” Dekel-Chen said Wednesday on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “I’m proud of him, but more importantly I and many others are doing everything we can to get him back home.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the families Wednesday that the hostages — and other Americans detained around the world — are “not names on a piece of paper.”

As Israel faces pressure from families to do more to rescue the hostages, Dekel-Chen says the United States seems to be doing everything within its power to help get the hostages back.

“I don’t think that anyone could reasonably expect anymore than they have been doing and we believe will continue to do,” Dekel-Chen said.

As Israel vowed to continue the war, there were new signs Wednesday of progress in cease-fire talks.

Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, traveled to Cairo for talks on the war, part of a flurry of diplomacy. In recent days, top Israeli, American and Qatari officials have also held cease-fire talks.

“These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope that they lead somewhere,” the White House’s national security spokesman, John Kirby, said aboard Air Force One while traveling with President Joe Biden to Wisconsin.