On Monday, while in Tel Aviv, comedian Jerry Seinfeld met with freed prisoners who had been set free by Hamas amidst the current conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Seinfeld and his family visited the Hostages and Missing Families Forum’s headquarters on Tuesday, where they were told to expect “an emotional meeting with representatives of the families of the hostages as well as hostages who returned from Hamas captivity,” according to a statement shared on the organization’s Instagram page.
Seinfeld talked with families about his commitment to bringing attention to the hostages in the ongoing conflict, the charity said in a post on Tuesday.
The Forum stated, “We are grateful to the Seinfeld family for their heartfelt visit to the families’ headquarters and their steadfast support for the relatives of the hostages. “We have no doubt that their assistance will be a big step toward realizing our common goal of ensuring the safe and prompt return of all hostages to their families.”
When CNN contacted Seinfeld’s representative, she had no additional comments.
Families of hostages founded the Hostages and Missing Families Forum soon after the October 7 bombings. According to its official website, it is a volunteer and donation-based organization that provides professional aid, medical and emotional support to afflicted families, and strives to raise global awareness of the situation in an effort to rescue abductees.
Since October 7, when Hamas launched surprise attacks in Israel and took hostages ranging from toddlers to octogenarians, Israel and Hamas have been at war.
105 individuals were set free by Hamas during a week-long ceasefire with Israel last month. As the warring parties continue to struggle, several more people are still missing, assumed to be held by the Palestinian militant Hamas and other factions in Gaza.
A significant portion of northern Gaza has been destroyed by bombings, and the UN reports that almost 1.9 million Palestinians, or more than 80% of the enclave’s population, have been forced to flee as diplomatic efforts to broker a fresh ceasefire continue.
As a supporter of individuals impacted by the conflict, Seinfeld was one of the 700 members of the entertainment industry to sign an open letter in October that denounced Hamas and expressed support for Israel in the wake of the assaults.
The entertainment industry’s leaders were urged to “speak out forcefully against Hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families” in a letter released by the nonprofit organization Creative Community For Peace.
The letter said, “We hope for the day when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace. Our thoughts are with all those experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence.”
