Father of Israeli American held hostage by Hamas on efforts to bring him home

Amna Nawaz:

Among the estimated 239 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza is 35-year-old Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen.

He lives in kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, which came under brutal attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

His father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, is here in Washington, D.C., meeting with U.S. officials to help free his son. And he joins me now.

Jonathan, welcome back to the "NewsHour." It's good to see you.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Father of Sagui Dekel-Chen: Thank you, Amna, for having me.

Amna Nawaz:

So, among the officials you have been meeting with here in Washington is the U.S. hostage envoy, Roger Carstens.

Give us a sense of what kind of updates you have been able to get, either from him or any other officials, U.S. or Israeli, about the status of your son in the last few weeks.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen:

Well, Amna, I can't go into details about what was shared with the families of hostages who are themselves Israeli-American.

What I can say is, over the course of the last two, three days that we have been meeting with them, is that there's absolutely a spirit of partnership between the hostage families and the administration officials, including Ambassador Carstens.

It's clear that — from our perspective, that the U.S. administration, from President Biden on down, is absolutely doing what it can in a very complicated situation to secure the release, not just of the U.S. citizens being held hostage, but also the rest of the 239, including, of course, my son.

Amna Nawaz:

You have shared your son's story with my colleague Nick Schifrin earlier, last month.

As you mentioned, he was protecting his wife and his children when Hamas attacked. You said he physically fought the terrorists before himself being kidnapped. What can you tell us today about how his wife and how his children are doing, how you're doing, more than five weeks later?

Jonathan Dekel-Chen:

(Audio gap) also destroyed the kibbutz and looted all of its property.

The 160 or so surviving members have been relocated temporarily to the southern city of Eilat. So the layers of trauma here are immense.

As far as dealing with it day to day, it's — what keeps us going is the belief, the hope and the belief that Sagui and all of the hostages will come home soon and live the lives that they really deserve to live. And so taking care of children, in my case, grandchildren, is coupled with — and surrounding them with love, of course, the best we can to help to the degree that it's possible overcome the trauma.

And, at the same time, working with partners in government both in Israel and in the United States and other friendly governments is really what keeps us going, and because all of the hostages deserve this.

Amna Nawaz:

Jonathan, you have seen there's a divide on whether or not to support a cease-fire, whether it could help in some way to negotiate a release of the hostages.

Where do you stand on that?

Jonathan Dekel-Chen:

Well, Amna, I stand and have stood from the start in a place where two things can be true at once.

The one, of course, is that all of the hostage families want more than anything else to have their loved ones back home with them and safe and healthy. At the same time, the other truth is that Hamas, and particularly as someone who lives on a kibbutz in the border area in one of the many communities that was completely devastated by these massacres, I understand the need for the Israeli army to eradicate Hamas as a military, as a governing force.

So what I hope for in this case is that the Israeli army and, to the degree that it's possible, supporting states are doing everything that they can tactically on the ground to ensure the safety of all of these hostages. And if, if a cessation of hostilities, temporary or otherwise, could bring back all of the hostages, then, absolutely, that would be something that I could see all of the hostage families accepting.

Amna Nawaz:

Now, I have to ask you, because you have spoken so eloquently about this idea of holding two ideas in your head at the same time; 1,200 people were brutally murdered on October 7.

And, as you say now, Israel is on this campaign to eradicate Hamas, so that Israeli citizens can stay safe in the future as well. At the same time, you're watching all these images of the airstrikes and the ground troops. And thousands of civilians of Gaza have now been killed. And I just wonder how you, watching this, knowing your son could be there, how you're processing that.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen:

I think it's limitless heartbreak, honestly, worry about my son and his two little daughters and a daughter to be born in another month, and where they're going to be at a week from now, a month from now, six months from now, immense, immense stress and sadness, coupled with immense sadness at the suffering of the citizens of Gaza.

They don't deserve this. And I don't believe there's anyone amongst the hostage families who enjoys watching this. And the people of Gaza — and I have said this before and I will reiterate it — I believe that they are prisoners of Hamas in a comparable way to the Israeli hostages right now.

The suffering of the people of Gaza is a direct result of the policies, actions and ideologies of Hamas. And so it would seem, if one makes both an emotional and intellectual calculation, that the answer is clear. We all will be able the day after to move forward with our loved ones home and with the Gazans being able to live normal lives only after Hamas is gone.

Amna Nawaz:

Jonathan Dekel-Chen, thank you so much for your time, for your grace, and for sharing your family's story with us. We appreciate it.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen:

Thank you.