12:55 pm ET, November 24, 2023
There are mixed feelings in Israel as Hamas releases some hostages
CNN’s Tara John and Adi Koblewitz in Tel Aviv
publication Israeli hostages And the start of a four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on Friday sparked a range of emotions in Tel Aviv, and raised hopes for the families of those still detained in the besieged enclave.
As authorities announced the release of 13 Israeli hostages and 10 Thai citizens and a Filipino national by Hamas, a murmur rang out from a crowd of hundreds gathered near the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in an area known as the “Hostages”. Square.”
Tamar Shamir has been coming to the square for weeks to show her support for those still in Gaza, but more needs to be done, she said. “We’re not happy, we can’t be happy until everybody comes home,” he told CNN.
A fragile ceasefire would see the release of 50 women and children held in Gaza, among more than 200 that Israel says were abducted when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7. The deal also included the release of 150 Palestinian women and children held in prison. Israeli prisons.
Shamir said his heart breaks when he thinks about the young hostages. “Kids come back and they don’t have a mom or a dad — some are orphans,” he said.
Tara John/CNN
Israeli-American Michal Feuer explained the conflict between freeing all hostages and “getting rid of Hamas” because the war has a “certain momentum” that has been damaged by the ceasefire.
“I really feel for the Palestinian citizens,” he said. “Most of them are innocent, but I don’t think we have any choice, and hopefully, in the long run, they get a better life for it,” he said.
