Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was mourned Thursday by a forum representing Palestinians-held hostages in Gaza after he was fatally shot while speaking at an event in Utah earlier this week, a killing that has prompted a continuing manhunt for the suspected shooter.
The Hostages and Missing Family Forum posted a statement and a video on social media saying, "With deep sorrow, we mourn the loss of Charlie Kirk," and that "his powerful voice will always be remembered for standing with Israel and for supporting the hostages and their families." The forum said it was "forever grateful for his unwavering solidarity." Kirk, 31, a husband and father of two, was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The forum represents 48 people it said remain held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Former hostages who have been released also offered condolences. Omer Shem Tov, freed in February after more than 500 days in captivity, said in a message that Kirk was "one of the strongest and bravest voices for Israel" and that he had been murdered "just for speaking his truth." Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024 after being abducted on Oct. 7, shared Kirk’s death on Instagram with the words, "May his memory be a blessing."
U.S. law enforcement officials have described the killing as an assassination and said the suspected shooter remained at large as investigators sought suspects and motives. Authorities have launched a manhunt and said they were treating the case as an active investigation.
Kirk’s vocal support for Israel and for families of those taken captive in Gaza had drawn attention across political and international circles. The hostage issue has remained a central and contentious point in efforts to halt fighting and secure releases. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly failed to produce large-scale exchanges since the first phase of an agreement ended in March, with U.S. and regional mediators involved in intermittent efforts to revive talks.
Tensions escalated earlier this week after an Israeli strike in Doha, Qatar, targeted members of Hamas leadership who, according to a senior Israeli source, were in the Qatari capital to discuss negotiations following a proposal from White House envoy Steve Witkoff. The strike, which drew international condemnation, killed six people including a Qatari security official, though Hamas said its leadership survived. Qatar said it would convene an emergency Arab-Islamic summit to address the attack.
A senior Israeli source who spoke on condition of anonymity questioned how negotiations could proceed after the strikes, saying, "If you bring all Hamas leaders together to discuss a hostage deal, then you try to kill them – who are you going to discuss a hostage deal with?" The source added that most Israelis cared most about the return of the hostages rather than the targeted killings.
The situation had been in focus at the White House just hours before Kirk’s killing. President Donald Trump met Wednesday with former hostages and family members of current hostages, including freed Israeli captives and relatives of those still held in Gaza. Trump condemned the Doha strikes, telling reporters he was "very unhappy" and saying the U.S. military had been informed of the strike too late to stop it. He said the decision was made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not by the U.S.
U.S. officials and mediators have repeatedly underscored the complexity of securing hostage releases amid ongoing military operations and deep mistrust between the parties. Israeli assessments have suggested that of the dozens of people still listed as hostages, a smaller number may remain alive, complicating the urgency and strategy for future negotiations.
The killing of Kirk prompted expressions of grief across social media and among people involved in the hostage issue. The Hostages and Missing Family Forum said, "Our hearts are with his loved ones during this painful time. May they find comfort in knowing how deeply his support was felt." Law enforcement in Utah and federal agencies continued to investigate the shooting and to search for the suspect.
The events underscore the larger geopolitical tensions surrounding the Gaza conflict, ongoing efforts by multiple countries to mediate hostage releases, and the diplomatic fallout from targeted strikes that have raised questions about the prospects for immediate progress toward freeing captives and ending hostilities.