Family of American held in Gaza arrives in DC with call for action

WTOP's Kyle Cooper interviews Jonathan Dekel-Chen and Gillian Kaye

The parents of an American who has now been held in Gaza for more than 100 days are still hopeful he will be released.

It’s been a hard road for Jonathan Dekel-Chen and Gillian Kaye since their 35-year-old Israeli American son Sagui was taken by Hamas on Oct. 7.

“We’re exhausted, sad, stunned, numb, desperate,” Kaye, Sagui’s stepmother, said.

The couple is in D.C. meeting with lawmakers and urging more action to get all the hostages released.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen said they are not taking a political position on whether the war in Gaza should continue on, but they are doing all they can to move along some solution that brings all the hostages home.

“Everything we’ve heard and seen absolutely affirms that they say what they mean in the Biden administration in terms of being there for the families,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said.

While Sagui was in captivity, his wife gave birth to their third daughter five weeks ago.

“She is a little ray of light and has been since her birth in enormous darkness,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen said.

The couple said they find hope thinking about their son finally meeting the baby, whose name in English is Dawn.

“Sagui’s wife, our daughter-in-law, who we have to always hold out hope for because she needs everybody’s love and everybody’s support,” Kaye said.

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Kyle Cooper

Weekend and fill-in anchor Kyle Cooper has been with WTOP since 1992. Over those 25 years, Kyle has worked as a street reporter, editor and anchor. Prior to WTOP, Kyle worked at several radio stations in Indiana and at the Indianapolis Star Newspaper.

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