A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas brings a wave of relief and hope to families of hostages, but anxieties linger as they await the return of their loved ones. The deal, brokered by mediators, calls for the release of hostages in stages, with the first group expected to be returned on Sunday. However, the uncertainty surrounding the fate of some hostages and the long-term stability of the agreement casts a shadow over the celebrations.
Families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones kidnapped during the Hamas attack in October 2023 experienced a whirlwind of emotions with the announcement of a ceasefire deal. While relief and euphoria washed over them at the prospect of their loved ones returning, anxiety and apprehension lingered about the agreement's longevity. For families like Omer Neutra's, the deal took on a somber significance.
Neutra, a young Israeli soldier, was killed during the attack at the Nova Music Festival. His family, who had held onto hope for his survival for over a year, now faced the agonizing prospect of repatriation instead of reunion. 'It is a very different shift to make from the hope of hugging him again to the hope of burying him,' Yasmin Magal, a Canadian-Israeli citizen whose family has been impacted by the conflict, told CBC News Network. 'But he deserves a proper burial and we deserve to have a grave and the other families deserve to be reunited with their loved ones, so I'm just hopeful that we're on the right path for that.' The deal, brokered by mediators, calls for an initial release of 33 hostages on Sunday, followed by negotiations for the remaining 65. This first group, comprising children, women, men over 50, the wounded, and the sick, will be released gradually over six weeks. However, it remains unclear which hostages are alive and which have perished. Families poured into Jerusalem and Tel Aviv streets, erupting in tears and embraces after the announcement. But their joy was tempered with cautious optimism. 'It's not a joy. It's a bit of relief. But it's going to be a huge relief, first of all, whenever I see Ofer,' Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer has been held captive in Gaza, shared with Reuters from Tel Aviv. 'Secondly, whenever I'm going to see the last hostages crossing the border and we're going to be here protesting every day until it's going to happen. Because I don't know if it's going to happen. I don't know if we're going to get all of them back home. And that is my huge fear, that we're not going to get them all home.' U.S. President Joe Biden, addressing the nation after Qatar's prime minister announced the agreement, acknowledged the human toll of the conflict. 'Too many innocent people have died, too many communities have been destroyed.' 'Bring Them Home,' a group representing the families of 98 hostages, expressed 'overwhelming joy and relief' but admitted to nervous anticipation for the next steps. Yosi Shnaider, whose cousin Shiri Bibas and her family were taken hostage, described the rollercoaster of emotions. 'We don't know if they're on the list, if they're going to come back in the first phase, if they're alive, if not. We actually don't know anything. It's scary,' he shared.The conflict has claimed the lives of over 1,200 Israelis, with another 250 being kidnapped. The Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in over 46,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The ministry states that women and children make up more than half of the casualties. The attack has decimated vast swathes of the impoverished territory, reducing them to rubble and displacing the majority of its 2.3 million residents, often multiple times.
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