Family members of several Americans still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address after being invited by a group of lawmakers.
With their attendance, the 17 relatives of the hostages asked all members of Congress and their staffers to wear a yellow lapel ribbon or a “Bring them home” dog tag necklace as a sign of solidarity for those still working to bring their loved ones home.
“It’s a living hell. A living hell from the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, told NBC News. He attended the address as a guest of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
The U.S. State Department believes there are six remaining Americans being held hostage in Gaza.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.