Shahar Isaac, who portrays Simon Peter in “The Chosen,” traded his sandals for military boots last year. Now back in the U.S., he’s raising his voice for his fellow Israelis still held hostage by Hamas.

“To be honest, it’s something that’s hard to talk about,” Isaac told CBN News at the season five premiere of “The Chosen.” “[I]t’s a dagger in our heart, and the wound is still open.”

The 32-year-old actor missed the season four premiere of “The Chosen” because he was called into reserve duty for the Israel Defense Forces. Dressed in black in Dallas, Texas, last week, Isaac gestured to a yellow ribbon on his lapel, which, he said, “represents the fact that we still have hostages that we are waiting for [rescue].”

The Israeli-born star condemned the “horrors” the hostages have endured.

Isaac’s comments came just days before Hamas released a propaganda video of two hostages — Elkana Bohbot and Yosef-Haim Ohana — captured by the terrorist group more than 535 days ago.

Bohbot’s family urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump to “think that this is your son, your father or your grandson, who is waiting to see the light of day.”

At the time of this story’s publication, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages in Gaza.

“We are now in the U.S.,” said Isaac, “so whatever pressure that this country can put on all the parties involved is something that we will be grateful for and something that needs to happen today.”

On Wednesday, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) said during his Senate confirmation hearing as President Donald Trump’s nomination for U.S. ambassador to Israel that Hamas “is a terrorist organization” and “must be treated as such.”

“This was not simply a cold-blooded murder in which people came across the borders and shot innocent people,” Huckabee told lawmakers of Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel. “They massacred them.”

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