Families of hostages still inside Gaza say ceasefire is ‘one and only chance’ to bring loved ones home
Families of hostages still inside Gaza have warned that this ceasefire is “the one and only chance” to bring everyone home, as fears grow that the deal could flounder with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of breaching the terms.
Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian detainees as part of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire.
However, a delay in freeing a different female hostage prompted Israel to block hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from returning to the enclave’s bombed-out north until the issue is resolved.
Both sides have since accused each other of breaching the terms of the deal, sparking concerns that this could hinder further releases or even scupper the agreement entirely.
Relatives, friends, and supporters of the hostages gathered in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, calling for everyone involved to do “everything possible” to hold the deal until all the remaining 90 hostages are returned.
“I am worried because this is the one and only chance to bring everyone home,” said Efrat Machikawa, 56, whose uncle Gadi Moses, 80, was taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The grandfather is on the list of those due to be released in the next few weeks as part of the first phase of the ceasefire. But the last proof of life the family received was in December 2023, when he appeared in an Islamic Jihad video, which Ms Machikawa could only bear to watch once.
“For me, as a citizen of the state of Israel and a citizen of the world, I think we need to focus on life. And this is why I think the war should end. I think the cycle of violence should end,” Ms Machikawa added.
“I think the whole global community should understand that bringing back the hostages will open a window for a better future, not only for Israel but also for the Palestinians, for the region, for the Middle East, and hopefully for the world as a whole.”
Gili Roman, 40, whose sister Yarden Roman-Gat was released in the November 2023 deal, but whose cousin Carmel was killed by her militant captors when the last attempt at a ceasefire collapsed, said there was a lot of “anxiety and nervousness about the people who are yet to be released”.
“We are dependent on Hamas to respect the terms of the deal; they failed to do it today,” he told The Independent, fearing they were doing this for “leverage”.
“It feels very hopeful, but at the same time, the deal can be breached. It can be broken. It can be sabotaged.”
“We are also worried about the extremists in our government. They’ve already declared they are going to go with full force to stop the next phase of the deal from happening.”
In a show of force, on Saturday dozens of masked and armed Palestinian militants crowded a main square in Gaza to stage the handover of the four female soldiers.
