The release of Israeli hostages and the start of a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza sparked a range of emotions in Tel Aviv on Friday, bringing hope to the families of those still detained in the blockaded enclave.
As officials announced that Hamas had released 13 Israeli hostages, along with 10 Thai nationals and a Filipino national, a murmur echoed among a crowd of hundreds gathered near the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in an area that earned the name “The Hostages.” Square.”
Tamar Shamir has been on the scene for weeks to show her support for those still in Gaza, but she said more must be done. “We are not happy, we cannot be happy until everyone goes home,” she told CNN.
The fragile truce will see the gradual release of 50 women and children detained in Gaza, among more than 200 people Israel said were kidnapped when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. The agreement also includes the release of 150 Palestinian women and children detained in Gaza. Israeli prisons.
Shamir said it was heartbreaking to think about the young hostages. She said: “The children will return and will not have a mother or father. Some of them are orphans.”
Michelle Foer, an Israeli-American, explained that she is conflicted between the need to release all the hostages and “get rid of Hamas,” as there is a “certain momentum” in the war, which is being damaged by the truce.
“I really feel for the Palestinian civilians,” she said. “Most of them are innocent, but I don’t think we have a choice, and I hope they have a better life in the long run as well,” she said.
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