It was the time the Israelites were longing for. On Sunday afternoon, 471 long days after they were captured by Hamas in the darkest hour in Israel's history, three young captives made the painful journey from Gaza's detention to freedom in their homeland.
The release of these three women – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher – marked the beginning of a multiphase agreement that provides the opportunity to end the brutal war in Gaza, and the hope of freedom for dozens of detainees after more than 15 months. they, their families and the nation were tortured.
But Israel's joy and relief at the deliverance was tempered by the revelations of the coming weeks. Israeli officials believe half of the remaining 94 hostages are dead. And many doubt that the fragile truce will last long enough for all to return.
“There is this harmony between this attitude where it could be the last day (of life) for their husband or their child – and the possibility that that person will be sleeping in the next room next week,” said Udi Goren. , whose family is awaiting the return of the body of his cousin Tal Haimi, who was killed on October 7 and taken to Gaza.
I don't think words can describe the huge difference between these two feelings.
For the past 15 months, the fate of the captives has been etched in the minds of the nation of Israel. Their faces from happy times have been plastered and repainted on buildings and billboards from Haifa to Eilat. Details of their lives fill the daily news. Assemblies calling for the government to take steps to secure their release have become a weekly occurrence.
But as time drew to a close this weekend, alongside the hope that some would eventually be freed, there were reminders of just how dire the situation is. Missiles from Yemen have sparked alarming airstrikes across the country. In Tel Aviv, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli before being shot dead by a passerby.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes continued to pound Gaza on Sunday morning, bringing the death toll in the Gaza Strip since last week's announcement to more than 140, according to Palestinian officials.
“There is a glimpse of hope, but it is not light at the end of the tunnel,” said Daria Giladi, as she and a friend joined a rally in support of the hostages in downtown Jerusalem on Saturday evening.
“You are happy people who are returning home, you are happy that the war is coming to an end, even if it is only for a short time. But there is still a long way to go. Only three of the hostages should return (at the stage of the first six weeks of the agreement). So it's not enough.”
Even for the relatives of the 33 prisoners due to be released in the first phase of the agreement – when children, women, the sick and the elderly will be released – the uncertainty is acute.
Sharon Lifschitz's parents, Yocheved and Oded, longtime supporters of coexistence with the Palestinians, were both arrested on October 7. Yocheved was released 17 days later. But the family has no idea about Oded's future. When Yocheved returned, he told his family that he was dead. But the prisoners were released a few weeks later in an agreement in November 2023 and said they saw him alive.
And so for the past 15 months, the family has waited, hoping for Oded's safe return, while grappling with the enormity of what it will mean for the frail octogenarian shot in the wrist during a Hamas attack to survive long in Hamas captivity. .
“We are all fighting for him with the belief that, until we know otherwise, we want him back. “If his destiny and his strength hold, and he finds a way to survive all the problems, we look forward to seeing him,” Lifschitz said, his voice straining.
“(But) he saw the destruction of everything he fought for. And then he had to be in the hands of the people who caused (the destruction). And he had to somehow survive when his health was not strong and he was injured. It's very hard to wish that on anyone — let alone the father you love so much.”
For families whose relatives are not expected to be released until the second and third phases of the deal – when the remaining victims are men, after which their bodies will be returned – the uncertainty is great.
When a previous seven-day deal and prisoner exchange took place in November 2023, freeing 110 of the 250 hostages initially held, many in Israel hoped it would lead to other such deals, and that the remaining prisoners could be returned. fast as well.
But what followed was 14 months of false dawns, as Israel and Hamas repeatedly failed to reach an agreement, and the number of living hostages steadily dwindled. Demands by far-right ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's government to rescind the deal have angered relatives of the hostages. And it has left those with relatives not eligible for release until the second or third grade fearing their time may never come.
Among them is Herut Nimrodi, whose 18-year-old son Tamir was arrested wearing pajamas, barefoot and without his glasses, at his military base near the Erez crossing in the first hours of the Hamas attack.
Nimrodi knows the exact time – 06.49am – of their last message, when Tamir met him and said that the rockets were landing on the base. The family found out he had been arrested when one of his daughters saw the video on Instagram. But months after they did not show his condition. In November, they marked his 20th birthday not knowing “that he had even turned 19“.
“I know my son's name is not on the list (to be released in the first phase), because he is a soldier, and we are afraid,” said Nimrodi. “My fear is not that we won't get to the next level. But even (once the first group is released) the reception area (for more releases) will be very small, because there will be few captives, and only men.”
It is also widely recognized that, even for those who have returned, returning will only be the first step. Lifschitz says his mother is doing “better than most of us” after returning from prison.
But for those who have spent more than 15 months in captivity, the process will be very difficult. Formerly released captives have spoken of being kept in homes, or in complete darkness, being drugged and beaten, and in some cases suffering or being subjected to sexual abuse.
Hagai Levine, a doctor who works with a forum that supports families of hostages, said in a press release last week that he expects “every aspect (of the hostages) will be affected physically and mentally”. “Time is of the essence – recovery will be a long and difficult process,” he said.
But with all the challenges ahead, families are eager for the process to begin. Everyone in Israel – and certainly families – want closure. We are wounded people now. We are in trauma. “We haven't even started after the injury,” said Nimrodi. “We have to live. And seeing captives return is a healing process for us as a society. “
Lifschitz agrees. “We know that most of the hostages are not alive and we will have few funerals and shivas (times of mourning) to accommodate them,” he said. But at the very least, there will be some kind of closure. We will know. At least we'll know. “