“I need to invent a new word to describe it—when joy and worry meet,” says Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle, Gadi Moses, was taken hostage by Hamas fighters during the attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. The recent Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas brings a glimmer of hope for families like hers.
However, the agreement has not dispelled all concerns. Families remain cautious about the specifics of the deal. “Controlled optimism” is how Ms. Machikawa describes her feelings. She calls the process a “rollercoaster,” saying, “We hardly breathe,” as she waits for updates about her uncle’s fate. “I believe Gadi will be fine. It will take time, but he will be hugged so warmly. Together, we shall overcome.”
In Tel Aviv, a square that had been packed with protesters demanding the release of hostages turned eerily quiet after the deal was announced. The agreement outlines three stages: first, a six-week phase to release 33 hostages—primarily women, children, and the elderly—in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The second phase, starting on the 16th day, focuses on freeing the remaining hostages, achieving an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and working toward “sustainable calm.” The third and final phase involves Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the remains of any d**d hostages.
Yet, for families like Yosi Schnaider, cousin of hostage Shiri Bibas—abducted along with her husband and two children—the uncertainty is agonizing. “We actually don’t know anything. It’s scary,” he says. “We don’t know if they’re on the list, if they’re going to come back in the first phase, if they are alive or not.”
For Yehuda Cohen, father of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held hostage, emotions remain on hold. “I don’t have time for emotion,” he says. “I can be Nimrod’s father once Nimrod is back here. I haven’t talked to him, seen him, or heard from him for 15 months. I’m fighting to get back to being his father.”
According to BBC Verify, 94 of the 251 hostages taken on 7 October 2023 are still in Gaza. Of these, 60 are believed to be alive, while 34 are presumed d*d. So far, 109 hostages have been freed through negotiations during temporary ceasefires, and eight were rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Tragically, the remains of 40 hostages have been recovered, including three accidentally klled by the IDF on 15 December 2023.
The conflict began after Hamas’s unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, which klled around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel’s military campaign to dismantle Hamas has left over 46,700 d*d in Gaza, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are displaced, facing widespread destruction and severe shortages of essentials like food, medicine, and shelter.
While the ceasefire and hostage deal bring hope, families remain caught between hope and fear, awaiting the safe return of their loved ones.