Still, Kurdia couldn’t help but cling to hope. “This news means a new chance to live,” he said. “This means a new chance for us to live and watch our children live, grow, and get an education. It is just a new hope for survival. This is the ceasefire deal we hope to get.”
In Tel Aviv, a small crowd gathered Wednesday night at the spot where protesters have, week after week, demanded that Israel’s government bring the remaining hostages home. Yifat Kalderon was among them. Her cousin Ofer was one of the 251 people kidnapped during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that saw militants kill some 1,200 people, sparking the war that has raged for almost 480 days.
Ofer was among the dozens of people kidnapped by the gunmen who stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz. Over the age of 50, he should be among the hostages released by Hamas in the first phase of the three-phase ceasefire agreement. But when asked if she felt a huge relief on Wednesday night, Kalderon made it clear that emotion would have to wait.
“No,” she said. “I’m going to feel a huge relief when it’s going to be done. When are we going to get all the 90-98 hostages alive and the dead ones back home.”
With bombs still falling in Gaza and little to indicate any new level of trust between Israel and Hamas, hostages’ families all across Israel were left to keep waiting and worrying about everything that could still go wrong.
“I’m not saying that I’m not happy,” Kalderon said. “But I’m trying to, you know, take care of myself, not to be, you know, I don’t want to – I want to see them, first of all. Until I’m going to see them crossing the border… I’m not going to believe anything.”
“I’m not breathing until that – we’re going to get them all back home.”
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