Seven US citizens remain captive by Hamas terrorists, prompting families to urgently call for their release.

The American hostages held by Hamas for over 420 days are still being pleaded for by their parents, urging U.S. and Israeli officials to act quickly to secure their release.

The families of the seven American hostages held in Gaza are again urging that their release be prioritized, as they will once again sit through another Thanksgiving dinner with an empty seat on Thursday.

Orna Neutra, mother of Omer Neutra, who was abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and has since experienced two birthdays while in captivity, told Planet Chronicle Digital that our plea is that this is urgent, and I'm not sure we're seeing the sense of urgency.

"The priority should be to address the hostage situation in the north, which is a primary war goal for the Israelis. It has been frustrating to follow the news cycle and wait for the hostages to be rescued."

The families of hostages still in Gaza, including Orna and her husband Ronen Neutra, are questioning Netanyahu's strategy for their return.

There is growing pressure on the Israeli prime minister to end hostilities with Hamas and free the captives.

Despite the Biden administration's efforts to bring all sides to the negotiating table and end the war, Israel's military campaign against Hamas persists.

""Seeing our son suffer in those terrible conditions while time passes is extremely painful for us, and we wonder what benefits we will gain from waiting a few more months," Ronen, Omer's father, stated."

While IDF operations continue in Gaza, the hostages remain in danger, as Omer's parents pointed out.

According to Orna, we witnessed the execution of six hostages, including American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in late August when the IDF was getting too close to the hostages. The conditions in which they were held and the state in which they were retrieved were deplorable, with the hostages being emaciated and dehydrated.

She stated that they were in dire circumstances and needed immediate removal.

Netanyahu's main objectives in the Gaza campaign are to eliminate Hamas and recover the captives.

After the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October, Israel did not stop its military operations, and ceasefire negotiations were not actively pursued by both sides.

The families of hostages are frustrated not only by the continued military operations in Gaza but also by Israel's increased focus on Lebanon, which has left many feeling that the hostages have been "overlooked."

Despite efforts to establish a cease-fire, no deal has been reached in Gaza, which has been ongoing for nearly a year.

Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, who was 19 and serving in the IDF when he was attacked and taken by Hamas terrorists, expressed disappointment that there is no connection between the Lebanon peace and the Gaza peace. He stated that there are people, including U.S. citizens, at risk in Gaza and urged them to come out.

He added, "Let's hope that this will bring Israel into focus on this peace for the hostages, as well as the other international players involved in the hostage deal."

In an address on Wednesday, Biden urged Hamas to release the hostages, including American citizens, in order to end the fighting and allow for a surge of humanitarian relief.

The United States will make another attempt to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza with the release of hostages and the end of the war without Hamas in power, along with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others, according to the official.

The release of hostages may be secured by the incoming Trump administration, even if the Biden administration fails to achieve it before January.

Trump, the president-elect, stated on the campaign trail, "We demand the return of our hostages prior to my inauguration, or there will be severe consequences."

Despite signing a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to access intelligence about the hostages, Trump has not specified the steps he would take to secure their release from the terrorist network.

The parents of Omer and Itay, who were kidnapped in Israel, have not yet been contacted by President-elect Trump, despite some Republicans, including those appointed by him, having communicated with the hostage families.

The Trump transition team could not be reached by Planet Chronicle Digital to confirm when the president-elect plans to contact the families and work towards freeing the hostages.

Omer and Itay's parents have vowed to keep their children's captivity in the minds of both ordinary people and world leaders.

Ruby expressed her hope that U.S. citizens would adopt the tradition of having an empty seat at the table to remember the tragedy of the holiday.

Ruby expressed hope that Christmas and Hanukkah are approaching, and that they will have their Christmas miracle, allowing them to be reunited as a family and welcome him back home.

The other American hostages in Gaza are still being held, including Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Gadi Haggai, Judi Weinstein Haggai, and Keith Siegel.