Hope and anguish in Israel on the eve of ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza

“In some ways, there is a little more hope, but on the other hand, it is deeply sad. For the families whose loved ones are not included in the first phase, I can’t imagine the pain they feel right now,” confided Neil Trubowiz of 75 years.

Mor Zahiro appealed to “extremist elements” in the cabinet not to sabotage the agreement. “Tell them to shut up! Let people reunite with their loved ones,” he said.

“Stop the fighting. Stop the war. Stop everything (…) Let us heal. This is essential, otherwise it will be hell here for the next fifty years,” he added.

Netanyahu reignited protesters’ concerns by demanding a list of hostages to be released this Sunday before authorizing the first prisoner exchange.

In a televised speech, he stated that Israel reserves “the right to resume the war” against Hamas in Gaza with the support of the United States.

In the October 7, 2023 attack that began the war in Gaza, Hamas commandos captured 251 people in southern Israel, of whom 94 remain in Gaza, including 34 the army declared dead.