West Bank - January 25, 2025 The father of a U.S. citizen serving in the Israel Defense Forces and held by Hamas has urged the Trump administration to follow President Joe Biden's previous efforts to secure the release of all captives, including his son. Ruby Chen, whose son Itay Chen was born in 2004, made the plea after four female Israeli soldier hostages held in Gaza were transferred to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) on Saturday. The hostages crossed the border back into Israel as part of a broader prisoner-hostage exchange. The release of the hostages marks progress in the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, implemented under the initial terms of a ceasefire agreement. Ruby Chen said the inauguration of Trump heralds an "inflection point," which has been seen by the leaders in the Middle East. He said the key to realizing stability in the region, which serves the strategic interests of the United States, is to end the hostage crisis and the crisis in Gaza. The first stage of the six-week ceasefire took effect on Jan 19. The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached after 15 months of intense fighting, as a result of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. Shotlist: West Bank - Jan 25, 2025: FILE: Tel Aviv, Israel - June 2021 1. National flag of Israel; FILE: Jerusalem - April 7-8, 2019 2. Various of building of Israeli Parliament Knesset, national flag of Israel; West Bank - Jan 25, 2025 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, U.S. citizen serving in Israel Defense Forces (IDF): "My son is also from the same base that the four female soldiers are coming from, so far it is a very special moment to see it. But we need to finish the deal, and when being in the United States and being in the White House and meeting President Trump, that's what I told him -- get the job done, tell your team to finish the job and get all the hostages out, including seven U.S. citizens, which one of them happens to be my son."; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Oct 20, 2024 4. Various of White House, national flag of U.S.; West Bank - Jan 25, 2025 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ruby Chen, father of Itay Chen, U.S. citizen serving in Israel Defense Forces (IDF): "So first of all, the previous administration did what it could, you know, we could go into explaining why they didn't get it to the finish line, but they were there till the last moment. And they were holding the pen to make sure that the deal was signed as supposed to be signed, but yes, President Trump, with his team, kicked it as the fact that was missing for a long. And his team was instrumental, it was an inflection point. And I have the belief that the leaders in the Middle East saw that. And the fact they saw us on stage at the inauguration, where the president highlighted the fact that we are here and we are hostage families. I think it's another message that all of them see, including the government here in Israel, understanding that the strategic interests of the United States is the stability in the Middle East. The key to get to that stability is the end of this hostage crisis and the crisis that is in Gaza."; Rafah, Gaza Strip - Jan 23, 2025 6. Aerial shots of destroyed buildings, rubble. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]