On Thursday, the forum representing the 48 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip expressed sorrow following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, 31, a conservative media personality and co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was also a husband and father of two.
The Hostages and Missing Family Forum released a statement and a video of Kirk on their social media, declaring, “With deep sorrow, we mourn the loss of Charlie Kirk.”
The statement further noted, “His powerful voice will always be remembered for standing with Israel and for supporting the hostages and their families.” It added, “We are forever grateful for his unwavering solidarity.”
The forum concluded by stating, “Our hearts are with his loved ones during this painful time. May they find comfort in knowing how deeply his support was felt.”
Kirk had gained recognition for his strong advocacy for Israel and for the hostages, who have been in captivity for 706 days since the attacks on the Jewish nation on Oct. 7, 2023.
Omer Shem Tov, a former hostage who was released in February after over 500 days of captivity, also issued a message of sorrow on Wednesday, saying, “Charlie Kirk, one of the strongest and bravest voices for Israel, was murdered today just for speaking his truth.”
He further remarked, “We cannot let ourselves get used to this reality.”
Noa Argamani, another individual abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and subsequently rescued by Israel Defense Forces in June 2024, posted news of Kirk’s assassination on Instagram, including the message “May his memory be a blessing.”
Apprehension regarding the hostages has intensified as negotiations between Israel and Hamas have consistently failed to achieve significant hostage exchanges since the initial phase of an agreement concluded in March, with the only exception being the release of American Edan Alexander in May.
Only hours before Kirk’s assassination, President met with former hostages and the relatives of those still held by Hamas at the White House.
This meeting took place a day after Israel launched a strike on Hamas leadership, an action that drew international criticism and raised fears it could further complicate negotiations for the release of the hostages, approximately 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Qatar has played a crucial role in mediation efforts aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and securing the return of the hostages. According to a senior Israeli source, the Hamas leaders targeted in the strike were in Doha to engage in negotiations following a proposal submitted by White House envoy Steve Witkoff only last week.
In a comment to Fox News Digital, the senior source questioned, “If you bring all Hamas leaders together to discuss a hostage deal, then you try to kill them – who are you going to discuss a hostage deal with?” They further asked, “And what does this mean about the possibility of a hostage deal in the near future, as we know they are dying down there?
The source, granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, added that “most Israelis… care about most is not killing some monsters in Doha, but the return of the hostages.”
Trump reacted to the incident, expressing that he was “very unhappy” and informing reporters that while Israel did notify the U.S. military of the strike, it was “too late to stop the attack.”
Trump clarified, saying, “This was a decision made by [Israel’s] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.”
Six individuals, including a Qatari security official, were killed in the strike, though Hamas asserted that its leadership survived the assault, as reported by The Associated Press.
On Thursday, Qatar announced plans to host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Sunday and Monday to address the Israeli attack.
Additionally, Doha’s International Media Office on Thursday refuted reports suggesting the attack had created tension between Qatar and the U.S., stating that the “partnership is stronger than ever and continues to grow.”
The agency’s statement concluded, “We will continue working together to promote global peace and stability.”