Families of American citizens held hostage in Gaza met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to urge him to pressure mediators in Qatar for negotiations to release the hostages. The families stressed the urgency of a deal and the need to avoid delays. US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew also attended the meeting. In a separate development, 130 IDF soldiers signed a letter stating they would refuse to continue serving if progress is not made in releasing the hostages, with two of them currently in active service.