Logo

Family members of Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas are euphoric they will soon be reunited with their loved ones after President Trump helped broker a historic peace deal between the warring sides.

But some are still holding their breath, hoping the vicious terror group doesn’t have any more cruel surprises left in store.

“I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over, but after the initial burst of adrenaline and joy yesterday, I realized that it’s not over until it’s over — and we cannot be complacent,” Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran told The Post while aboard a flight to Israel.


  Family members of those still held hostage by Hamas pray that they will soon be reunited with their loved ones after President Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. REUTERS Family members of those still held hostage by Hamas pray that they will soon be reunited with their loved ones after President Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. REUTERS

  A map of the Gaza “buffer zone where the IDF will fall back once cease fire requirements are met. NY Post Design A map of the Gaza “buffer zone where the IDF will fall back once cease fire requirements are met. NY Post Design

“When it finally happens, I’ll be able to begin processing this journey, and everything that has happened since October 7, on an emotional level.”

People across Israel and the Gaza Strip took to the streets in joyous celebration Thursday after Trump announced the cease-fire agreement set to bring two years of bloody war to an end, chanting the president’s name and calling for him to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I dream of the hugs, the kisses. Of David hugging Sharon, Emma, and Yuli; of Ariel hugging Arbel. I thank everyone for the warm embrace these past two years — it gave me the strength to keep going,” Silvia Cunio, mother of captives David and Ariel, told the Times of Israel as she wept following Trump’s address.

“My Gali and Zivi, I love you so much. You’re coming back home,” Liran Berman said to Channel 12 news of her twin brothers.

“There is no happiness like this … It’s happening, it’s happening,” said the boys’ aunt Maccabit Meir. “We were so afraid, and now I’m crying tears of happiness, not tears of fear,” she said.

Under the terms of the deal, 48 Israeli hostages — 20 of whom are believed to still be alive — will be released, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

Of the 251 Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack, 148 were returned alive, most of them during two previous ceasefires that year.


  Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, told The Post, “I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over.” AFP via Getty Images Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of hostage Omri Miran, told The Post, “I have yet to process it all. I am naturally happy that this nightmare may soon be over.” AFP via Getty Images

Families spent more than 700 days on a torturous rollercoaster not knowing if their loved ones were still alive, or what kinds of horrors they were facing at the hands of the bloodthirsty terrorists.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum told Times of Israel the families were reacting to their impending release “with excitement, anticipation and apprehension.”

Here’s the latest on the Gaza cease-fire deal

“This is an important and significant step toward bringing everyone home,” the forum told the outlet. “But our struggle is not over — and will not be over — until the last hostage returns.”

Lavi described Miram’s family as experiencing a similar mix of happiness and trepidation, but said they were determined to think positively.

“We’re not focusing on fears, but on hopes. We know how fragile everything is, given that we are dealing with a terrorist organization and that every minute endangers our loved ones,” Lavi said.


  The first phase of the hostage deal being approved has led to people across Israel and the Gaza Strip to celebrate the historic deal that is set to end the 2-year war between Israel and Hamas. REUTERS The first phase of the hostage deal being approved has led to people across Israel and the Gaza Strip to celebrate the historic deal that is set to end the 2-year war between Israel and Hamas. REUTERS

“But now, more than ever, it’s important to be hopeful and to hold onto that hope.”

For the families of dozens of Israeli hostages killed in captivity by Hamas, news of the ceasefire brought mixed emotions.

“Even though it’s a remarkable time, our story doesn’t have a happy ending, no matter what,” said Ronen Neutra, whose son, Omer, a 21-year-old Israel Defense Forces captain, was killed by Hamas after being kidnapped in the Oct. 7 assault.

“So with that, we have very mixed feelings, and we’re still very much worried and in touch with administration officials, both here and in Israel, pressing the importance of bringing the last hostage until all of them are back,” he told The Post.

Israel for its part of the bargain — which was signed off by the country’s war cabinet in early Friday morning — will be releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 more detained in Gaza during the war.

President Trump said Thursday that “tremendous things” were in the works in the Middle East, and announced he planned to visit the region as soon as this weekend.

“And I think that you will see some tremendous things happen next week. It’s been an amazing period of time. The whole world has come together, but the Middle East has come together for the first time in 3,000 years.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy