Families of hostages being held in Gaza have said delays to the ceasefire and hostage deal have left them in limbo and agony.
Relatives of some of the 98 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas reacted with “guarded optimism” to the truce announced by Qatar and the US on Wednesday, but a vote by the Israeli cabinet has been delayed by the Israeli prime minister until Friday, saying Hamas must accept “all elements of the agreement”.
Stephen Brisley, whose brother-in-law Eli Sharabi, 52, was taken hostage from the Be’eri kibbutz, said the delays had caused “further torture” for his family. Brisley’s sister Lianne Sharabi, a British citizen, and her daughters Noiya and Yahel were killed in Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack.
“I don’t really know how to feel because it’s still quite difficult to process and doesn’t feel quite real. I’m saying I’m cautiously optimistic, but a bit wary at the same time because we’ve had so many false dawns in the past,” he said.
Israel carried out fresh airstrikes on Gaza on Thursday and accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of the deal, which is intended to come into effect on Sunday.
In the first stage, 33 hostages are set to be released over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remainder are to be released in a second phase. The 98 hostages – some of whom are believed to be dead – include four people taken hostage in 2014 and 2015.
Brisley, from Bridgend in Wales, said he had had to temper his optimism due to the uncertainty.
“The fact that it was officially announced [on Wednesday] evening has been slightly coloured by events today with the cabinet yet to vote on it. We’re hearing conflicting stories about whether Hamas have attempted to change things or whether it’s just politicking,” he said.
“It’s the usual sort of conflicting information, but all of it leads to further delay and further torture for us and leaves us in limbo. I’m by no means sure that it’s going to happen and in its current structure, across six weeks, a lot can happen. Guarded optimism is the most I’m prepared to allow myself to have at the moment.”
Adam Ma’anit, whose cousin Tsachi Idan, 50, was taken hostage from the Nahal Oz kibbutz, shared Brisley’s scepticism as he told how he found the staggered nature of the deal “agonising and frustrating”.
He said his family had not been able to grieve properly for Idan’s 18-year-old daughter, Maayan, who was killed by Hamas during the 7 October attack. Idan’s clothes were still covered with his daughter’s blood as he was driven to Gaza, Ma’anit said.
“It’s been like this in the past where we were lured by the tantalising prospect of a deal imminent and then having it snatched away, having our hopes raised to stratospheric levels and then dashed on the rocks of despair,” said the 51-year-old, who lives in Brighton.
“I’ve learned since then to be guarded in my optimism, certainly very cautious and sceptical of various anonymous sources and rumours and news, and only when I see my cousin and the other 97 hostages coming off the transport from crossing back into Israeli territory will I feel satisfied that something concrete has been achieved.”
Gilad Korngold, 63, said not knowing what had happened to his son Tal Shoham, 39, who was taken from the Be’eri kibbutz, had left his family living like “zombies” for the past 467 days.
“It’s terrible because since October 7 I don’t have any idea what’s happened to my son, and now I don’t have any idea if there will be any deal. I hope. I hope but I’m very tired. It makes us crazy. I with the other families are all worried for our own reasons,” he said.
Eli Albag, the father of 19-year-old Liri Albag, one of the youngest remaining hostages, said he did not want to comment while there was still uncertainty around the deal.
“We still don’t know what’s happening; until now the negotiations haven’t closed. We don’t know nothing. We’re still confused,” he said.
His sentiments were shared by Sha’ban al-Sayed, whose mentally ill civilian son Hisham al-Sayed, a 36-year-old Israeli Bedouin, has been held by Hamas almost completely incommunicado for the last nine years.
“We feel sad because we don’t know what condition Hisham is in and we don’t know if the agreement will be fully implemented. I mean, when all the hostages held by Hamas return, then we can evaluate how we feel,” he said.
