The Israeli government has approved a pivotal ceasefire agreement, marking a significant move towards peace by arranging the release of 33 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli jails. This development aims to pause the prolonged 15-month conflict for an initial period of six weeks, offering a glimmer of hope to families on both sides of the divide. The exchange process is set to commence with the release of three Israeli hostages on Sunday, followed by further releases on a weekly basis throughout the ceasefire.
As excitement builds, a list detailing those set to be freed by the militant group circulates widely across Israeli news platforms. The deal's third phase will focus on exchanging the bodies of deceased hostages and Hamas members, alongside launching a reconstruction plan for Gaza. The involvement of international figures, including former President Donald Trump and the current administration under President Joe Biden, has been crucial in pushing both parties towards this groundbreaking agreement.
Despite this progress, dissent looms within the Israeli coalition government. Far-right members have threatened to resign, potentially jeopardizing the hard-earned progress towards ending the hostilities. Under the new terms, men over 50 years old among the hostages will be exchanged for prisoners serving life sentences at a ratio of 1:3, while other prisoners will be released at a ratio of 1:27.
Approximately 100 Palestinian prisoners slated for release are serving life sentences for violent attacks on Israelis. Others have been imprisoned for lesser offenses, such as social media posts or administrative detention. As of January 2025, there were 10,221 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to figures published by the Israeli NGO HaMoked.
Israeli and Western intelligence services estimate that a third of the hostages may have died during captivity. For Palestinians, imprisonment remains a critical issue in Israel's long-standing occupation, now spanning 57 years. Under the deal’s first phase, Hamas has agreed to release hostages encompassing children, women, and men aged over 50 in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
The ongoing military operations and bombings have resulted in the deaths of over 46,500 Palestinians and continue to endanger hostages trapped in Gaza. Families of hostages await anxiously for their loved ones' return. Moshe Emilio Lavi expressed his fear and frustration:
“Every day you fear the worst,” – Moshe Emilio Lavi
Lavi criticized both domestic and international efforts regarding hostage negotiations:
“Time ran out a long time ago. The international community completely failed. Our government failed by not prioritising their release enough.” – Moshe Emilio Lavi
Gil Elias, another affected family member, shared his emotional turmoil:
“My heart is beating 200bpm, my stomach is flipped. For 10 years we have been waiting for this moment to come, but it never did. And now finally it’s happening. I know he’s still alive.” – Gil Elias
Elias further lamented the delays in his loved one's return:
“He should have been here a long time ago,” – Gil Elias
“But he is not because of negligence from the government.” – Gil Elias
Lavi accused authorities of exploiting the hostage negotiations for ulterior motives:
“They are exploiting the hostage deal because they have other interests, like re-establishing settlements in northern Gaza,” – Moshe Emilio Lavi
He remained cautious about future decisions:
“I just hope the government is not going to make an unwise decision this time.” – Moshe Emilio Lavi
Adam Ma’anit expressed skepticism based on past experiences:
“It’s been like this in the past where we were lured by the tantalising prospect of an imminent deal and then having it snatched away, having our hopes raised to stratospheric levels and then dashed on the rocks of despair,” – Adam Ma’anit
Elias provided further insight into previous governmental shortcomings:
“The government didn’t work hard enough on bringing him back when they actually could do it,” – Gil Elias
He also highlighted constraints faced by families:
“They didn’t want to pay the price for bringing him back and at the time we couldn’t put pressure on the government because of the censorship, so we weren’t allowed to talk about it at all.” – Gil Elias
As these sensitive negotiations unfold, many remain apprehensive about their outcomes.