Hostages freed from Hamas captivity and family members of those still being held in Gaza met with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, warning that time is short to finalize a deal to bring the remaining hostages home.

Dalia Cusnir, sister-in-law of hostage Eitan Horn, said during a press conference after a closed-door meeting with the bipartisan group of senators that the hostages may not have much time left.

“They are sick … We know of others [who] are injured. They’re suffering, they’re being tortured, and as time goes by it gets worse and worse. They’re not getting any medical treatment. They’re getting treated like animals,” Cusnir said. “We feel like the world is not speaking up for them … We’re asking for your help and we’re asking for President Trump and all of the governments to secure this deal.”

Aviva Siegel, a former hostage and wife of recently freed Israeli American hostage Keith Siegel, told reporters that doctors predict that some of the hostages would not survive much more time in captivity.

“Having Keith standing next to me is wonderful and it’s the best thing that I could ever dream of. But [I heard] the stories of what he went through, being closed in a room and locked and having to beg for some water, for food, and to go to the bathroom, and was alone for half a year with just Hamas terrorists that did everything they wanted for him to feel humiliated and to feel weak,” Siegel added.

Orna Neutra, mother of Omer Neutra, whose body is still being held by Hamas, said that “the whole region is being held hostage, the whole country of Israel … [the] people of Gaza and of course our family members that are there. The whole world.”

“The fact that we’re still here on the other side of the ocean a year and a half [later] talking about this — it has to end,” Neutra continued. “And it won’t end before the hostages come back. So all the creative powers, all the big plans — start with the release of the hostages.”

Iair Horn, who was freed in February, also attended the briefing.

The senators who organized the briefing emphasized the need to continue to focus on the hostages and bringing them home.

“We wanted to have this discussion to bring focus and attention to the plight of the hostages, the need to bring them home, to not lose focus on the importance of what they’re suffering, the importance of having this be a priority in our discussions,” Sen. David McCormick (R-PA), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, said.

“I’ve met with the families over and over and over again. They are never easy meetings, but we must see them, and we must hear them, and we must do something,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the subcommittee ranking member, said. “We have to pursue every viable path to ensure the safe release of every hostage.”

Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) also attended the meeting.