Hostage Release Deal โฃReached, Israelis Anticipateโ Return of Captives
TEL AVIV, โISRAEL – A dealโข has been reached to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, โฃsparking widespread elation adn cautious โoptimism across Israel. the formal agreement โขis expected toโ be โขsigned later Thursday in Egypt, a key โคmediator alongside theโ unitedโค States and Qatar, perhaps bringing the remaining โขliving โคhostages home โwithin โขdays.
The agreement comes nearlyโ two yearsโ after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on โฃIsrael,โ which resulted inโ the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians. Theโ attack โขled to the abductionโข of 251 people, of whom 47 remain in gaza, with the Israeli military stating 25 of โขthose are presumed dead.
News of the impending release has prompted โขspontaneous celebrations. โค”Thereโค are no words to describe the feeling today. It’s indescribable,like spontaneous joy,excitement,tears,” saeid Rachel Peery,49,a tech sector employee,who left workโ with colleagues upon โคhearing the news. โ”It’s โคa day that the โขentire nation has been โขwaiting for, for two years, every second, every day.”
Businessman Gyuraโ Dishon โexpressed similar relief. “It’sโข unbelievableโฆ You couldn’t โขstop crying,”โค he said. “It’s like something thatโ you wouldn’t believe can โขhappen and you were wishing for it to happen andโฃ then it’s coming true all of โa sudden.”
While โthe โฃprospect โขof hostages returning home is widely celebrated, sentiments remain complex. โขIn Jerusalem, a newsagent voicedโค support for the release but stated, “I โขam against ending the war. They started something, they must pay the heavy โprice.”
Others acknowledge the painโฃ of loss โคalongside the hope for theโ future. A man โpraying during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot described the news as a “splendid feeling” โฃthat “should have been done a long time โคago,” but added, โฃ”This is not a happy ending. We have lost many good people.โฃ But itโ was the right thing toโข do.”
In Tel Aviv, โฃNoam Ekhaus,โข a 36-year-old photographer โคand neuroscience researcher, described the โatmosphere โฃasโค transformative. “I haven’t been smiling like this in a while and I โdon’t think that I’m the only one,” she said. “I’m walking down theโ street and I’m feeling something โdifferent and I’m seeing somethingโค different and this is what hopeโ feels โlike.”
Israel’sโ retaliatory campaign in Gaza following the October 7th attack has killed at least 67,194 people, according to the health ministryโฃ in the Hamas-run territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.