The families of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip expressed cautious optimism on Saturday about the prospects of their loved ones being freed as part of the ceasefire deal with the Hamas terror group.
“It’s very exciting but it hasn’t happened yet, and we have to wait in these very tense times. We cannot rest until it happens,” Yair Moses, the son of 80-year-old captive Gadi Moses, who is expected to be released in the first phase of the deal, told JNS.
The last update the family received about Gadi was a December 2023 propaganda video published by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

“I am careful not to build expectations until we see him. We need to see it happen, it will take at least two weeks for him to be freed, maybe more. We don’t know the conditions in which he was held, it’s very hard to be excited, the disappointment can be terrible,” said Moses.
Ayelet Hakim, the sister of Hamas captive Ohad Ben Ami, another of the 33 hostages set to be freed as part of the first phase of the agreement, told JNS that she remains uneasy.
“It’s very unsettling because while he is on the list, he will be released very late if at all,” she said.
Ayelet’s sister Raz, Ohad’s wife, was released in the first ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in November 2023.
“Until he is home, I can’t say that I am relaxed because it’s not a done deal. The fact that he is on the list is not very reassuring. First, there will be three women released. Next week, three more women and the following week another three. Ohad will probably only be released in over a month. It’s a very long time and a lot can happen,” said Hakim.

Asked how she copes, she said she “smokes a lot more than I used to.”
“Raz smokes as well. She is with her daughters and they are getting ready for it, arranging his clothes and arranging the house, they keep themselves busy, mostly not to think about it. Thinking about it is very bad and very confusing,” she said.
“The thing we think about the most is going abroad somewhere on a family vacation all of us together. We don’t know where—the world is our oyster. We are waiting for Ohad, we keep saying Ohad will decide where we will go. Where he wants us to go, that’s where we will go,” she added.
Hadassah Lazar, the sister of 86-year-old captive Shlomo Mansour, who is also expected to be released in the first phase, told JNS she remains conflicted.
“My joy is mixed with sadness for the kidnapped who will be left behind, fear and concerns that there will be obstacles on the way,” she said.
“My stomach is upside down, there is no air to breathe and tears are choking in my throat. I don’t know what to expect. It’s nerve-wracking tension. I am starting to count the days, but I keep my feet on the ground,” she continued.
“It is difficult for me to imagine the moment we will reunite. What I know is that I want to ask him for a thousand forgivenesses, for not being able to save him a long time ago,” she added.

Lazar said she wished she had information regarding her brother’s medical condition. She explained that Shlomo was kidnapped weighing 125 pounds and without his hearing aid.
“He must be a skeleton today. I want to hope that his charming smile remains on his face,” she said.
“The people of Israel are wonderful, supportive, kind-hearted and caring people. I love them and I ask them to continue to embrace and strengthen us families with their hearts,” she added.