Family members of Israeli hostages held in Gaza welcomed the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of the cease-fire agreement on Friday, which brought it one step closer to taking effect. But joy over the prospect of reuniting with loved ones was tempered by uncertainty about whether Israel and Hamas would adhere to the deal beyond its initial phase.
“The stomach is turning, and the heart is poured out on the floor, but it’s what we’ve been waiting for,” said Daniel Lifshitz, whose grandfather, Oded, 84, is among the roughly 100 hostages held in Gaza.
Mr. Lifshitz said the involvement of President-elect Donald J. Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, made him confident that the deal would happen even before the cabinet gave its approval. Now, Mr. Lifshitz said, the challenge is to ensure that both Israel and Hamas abide by the agreement’s terms and return all of the hostages.
“I trust that Trump and Witkoff will do what’s needed to be done,” Mr. Lifshitz said.
While Mr. Lifshitz’s grandfather is among the hostages set to be released in the deal’s initial phase, the family has no information about his well-being and whether he is still alive.
“Preparing for a festivity and a funeral simultaneously is impossible,” Mr. Lifshitz said in an interview.
Doron Zexer, whose family hosted the Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander during his military service in Israel, and who is a prominent advocate for his release, said the news that hostages are likely to be released was joyous, even if Mr. Alexander was not immediately among them.
“I’ll be the happiest man alive to see any one of the hostages return, but there’s also immense worry over the second phase,” Mr. Zexer, 50, said.
Mr. Alexander is not among the roughly 33 hostages, mostly women and older people, who are expected to be released in the deal’s first six weeks.
Even as the agreement progresses, families have no clear indication of whether Israel intends to pursue the deal beyond its initial phase and commit to an enduring cease-fire in Gaza, allowing the remaining hostages to return home.
“I know there are extremists, but I hope the prime minister would not let them take charge,” Mr. Zexer said in an interview. “This must end with the last one of the remaining hostages being released.”
Earlier on Friday, while ministers convened to vote on the deal, hostage families gathered in a public plaza in Tel Aviv known as Hostages Square to urge decision makers to support the agreement.
Dozens of Israelis trickled into the square to support the families and seek comfort, some wearing shirts and pins that have become familiar symbols in Israel during the 15-month-long campaign for the hostages’ release.
At a news conference, Einav Zengauker, whose son, Matan, has been held captive in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, said, “The signed agreement is a comprehensive deal in phases. Our role is to do everything to ensure the agreement is fully implemented.”
Her son is not among those set to be released in the deal’s initial stage. “This agreement must be followed through to the end to bring everyone home and end the war,” she said.
Michel Illouz, whose son, Guy, was abducted alive during the attack and subsequently killed in captivity, said Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas would not allow it to pursue the deal to completion.
“It’s impossible to crush Hamas and return the hostages; that’s a self-contradictory statement,” he said during the news conference.
He pleaded with Israeli leaders to accept the deal’s terms so that all captives — along with the remains of those who are no longer alive — could return to Israel.
“I have no grave where I can tell my eldest son how much I miss him,” Mr. Illouz said. “We have no hope to receive our children back alive — we can only hope to receive a grave and try to get some closure.”
