A hostage release deal brought hope and suffering on Wednesday to the families of prisoners held in Gaza.
Uncertainty over the agreement – including over who will be among at least 50 hostages set to be released, and whether more will be released – has strained the emotions of relatives who have campaigned for their loved ones’ release in the 46 days since their abduction. During the Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Israel said that about 240 people were held hostage in Gaza, and it is still unclear which of them will be released under the ceasefire agreement announced overnight. Ceasefires in previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas have proven fragile.
Hours after the deal was announced, the families said they had not received any official information from the Israeli authorities. The government said in a statement that women and children would be released, increasing the likelihood of families being separated — for example, by leaving captured fathers with their children. There are at least 36 Israeli civilians aged 18 or younger detained in Gaza, along with 13 of their mothers.
“It feels like yesterday and the day before, but worse,” said Yael Engel Litchi, the aunt of Ofir Engel, a 12th-grader from Jerusalem who was kidnapped on October 7 from Kibbutz Be’eri, where he was staying with his family. His girlfriend Yuval Sharabi, 17, and her family.
People have been calling to congratulate the family since Tuesday night, Ms. Engle Lecce said Wednesday morning. But she added: “We don’t know anything.” “No official contacted us to tell us anything.”
“We are on the verge of collapse,” she added.
Mr. Engel was held hostage along with his girlfriend’s father, Yossi Sharabi. Mr. Sharabi’s brother was also kidnapped in Birre and his wife and children were killed. A nephew was killed at a music festival held nearby.
“Imagine the feelings within that family,” Ms. Engel Lecce said of the Sharabi family. “It’s hard. It breaks you down more and more.”
For others, the deal announcement was the first good news they had heard since October 7.
“We are full of hope,” said Aharon Brodoch, whose sister-in-law, Hagar Brodoch, 40, and her three young children, Ofri, 10, Yuval, 8, and Uriah, 4, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Azza. “At least for our family, it should be over, but then we have to worry about the rest of the hostages,” he said.
Avichai Broduch, Hajar’s husband and father of three children, began a vigil a week after their kidnapping outside military and government headquarters in Tel Aviv, feeling that the country was more focused on taking revenge on Hamas than releasing the hostages. He appeared with the family dog and a homemade sign that read, “My family is in Gaza.” He was soon joined by masses of supporters.
But despite all the hope raised by the news of an agreement to release some of the hostages, there remained deep concern about the mental and physical condition of the children among them.
Several of Alana Zaichik’s relatives were among those kidnapped on October 7: her cousin, Sharon Kunio, and her cousin’s husband, David Kunio, were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with their 3-year-old twin daughters Emma and Julie. Another cousin, Danielle Aloni, who was visiting the kibbutz, and her 5-year-old daughter Amelia were also kidnapped.
Ms. Zaitchik described each new piece of information as a welcome morsel. But she also fears what her younger cousins have been exposed to.
“The harm caused to these children, this suffering and pain, does not end with their release,” she said, adding that “their return is surrounded by a lot of pain and trauma.”
Some families of the older male hostages, who were not expected to be among the first to be released, expressed frustration and despair.
Shaye Benjamin, whose father Ron, 52, was captured while riding an early morning bike near Be’eri, said she has put her life on pause since her father’s kidnapping, and is worried there is no end in sight. Noting that it took nearly 50 days to reach that deal, she said: “Just think how much time it would take to get another deal done for the guys.”
Ms Benjamin said she would be happy if the children were released, but added: “Everyone deserves to go home.”
