# Inside the Final Push to Free the October 7 Hostages Canonical: https://brew.new/templates/substack/inside-the-final-push-to-free-the-october-7-hostages Brand: substack.com Category: general ![Preview of Inside the Final Push to Free the October 7 Hostages](https://cdn.brew.new/email-preview-2e57928e578c813c-tracking_r57rmzbz7qx0n21ez2yhgtpg2n8fvxmc-1791404495880.png) ## Email content Forwarded this email? Subscribe for more The Big ReadWednesday, 10.07.2026View in App Subscribe to download as a PDF Get the whole story. Join now.Inside the Final Push to Free the October 7 Hostages The negotiations had dragged on for nearly a year. Then, with just weeks left in the Biden administration, I joined forces with Steve Witkoff to make one last push to bring the hostages home. People watch as a helicopter carrying freed hostages lands in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 25, 2025. (Chris McGrath via Getty Images) By Brett McGurkPREVIEW Earlier this morning, we brought you a collection of stories on the world October 7 made. You can find those stories here. This afternoon, we’re bringing you something a little different: a window into the response to Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, from someone in the room where it happened. Brett McGurk served as National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa under President Joe Biden, making him the point person for the grueling negotiations to free the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas that day. McGurk has pulled back the curtain on that effort in his new book. Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages, published Tuesday, traces his time in the Biden administration, all the way to its very final hours, when Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages, and the first stage of a ceasefire took effect. Today’s piece, adapted from Brink, drops you inside those last weeks, as McGurk worked alongside the incoming Trump administration to push the deal over the finish line. —Jillian Lederman Wednesday, November 20, 2024 Washington, D.C., U.S. Capitol Two weeks after Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan and I went to a secure room in the U.S. Capitol to brief our successors. Sullivan’s was Mike Waltz, a congressman from Florida. Mine was Steve Witkoff, a real estate tycoon and Trump’s best friend. This article is part of Israel and the Jewish World. Sign up to get everything we publish on Israel, antisemitism, and Jewish life and identity across the globe. Shortly after the election, I had called Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former Middle East hand. My message was that we had a chance to secure a Gaza deal so long as we could be seen as working together without any daylight between the incoming and outgoing teams. For the first time in months, circumstances trended in our favor. Brett McGurk was National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa under President Biden. (Penguin Random House) Following the collapse of the hostage talks, Israel had won a string of military victories. It started on September 17, with an operation that exploded thousands of beepers carried by Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. I first heard about what became known as Operation Grim Beeper from a contact in Mossad, who told me, “We just blew the dicks off Hezbollah.” In many cases, that was not metaphorical... Continue reading 'Inside the Final Push to Free the October 7 Hostages' Or Become a paid subscriber today to enjoy unlimited access to The Free Press Unlock the world of The Free Press and stay ahead of the curve with our premium news articles. Annual $8.33/month Billed as $100 yearly Save $20! Monthly $10/month Billed monthly SUBSCRIBE NOW ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN COMMENT LIKE SHARE Become a paid subscriber To support our journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below. UPGRADE TODAY Download on the App Store © 2026 The Free Press 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe [Open and remix this design](https://brew.new/templates/substack/inside-the-final-push-to-free-the-october-7-hostages) [Browse email designs](https://brew.new/browse/templates)