‘When will they come out?’: Anxious families wait to see if loved ones will be among those freed in Gaza hostage deal

There is relief that moves are being made to bring those being held captive back, writes Kim Sengupta. But some relatives are worried about the fragility of the agreement, while others fear not everyone will come home

Chaim Peri was an artist and a peace activist who used to take sick people from Gaza for treatment in Israeli hospitals. On 7 October he was among those kidnapped by Hamas fighters when they came across the border to carry out an attack that claimed 1,200 lives.

Every day of waiting since then has been one of despondency and fear for his family. They are relieved now that the freeing of hostages is due to start under a deal, but they are also aware that Mr Peri, 80, who suffers from heart disease, will not be among the first to come home.

“It is a strange feeling now. Things are moving at last and that is great. It is also right, of course, that children and women will be the first to be let go,” said his son Noam.

“If only we had some idea about when our father may get out. He is not a healthy man; he needs daily medication. He is a brave man, a hardy man, but at his age he may not survive much longer. He has fought for human rights all his life, including Palestinian rights. It would be so sad if he had a lonely death in Gaza.”

Mr Peri was listed as missing after the attacks and his family only found out that he was alive when Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old neighbour at Kibbutz Nir Oz, who has been freed by Hamas, reported that she had seen him in captivity.

Seventy-three residents of the Kibbutz were abducted, Yocheved’s 83-year-old husband Oded is among those still being held. Their daughter, Sharone, agreed with Noam Peri that it was only right that women and children should be the first to get home. “But everyone is really concerned about what can happen next. Why is Hamas delaying the freeing of the others? When will they come out? It is a kind of psychological warfare that they are carrying out,” she said.

The agreement, which was brokered by Qatar as the main conduit, and Egyptian help, with the US administration a driving force, is structured to encourage the further releases of hostages.

Relatives and friends of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have protested for their release for weeks (AFP via Getty Images)

A four-day ceasefire will be used to free 50 women and children from Gaza, followed by the release of 150 Palestinian women and children from Israeli jails. A second phase would then come into play with the pause in fighting extended by a day for every 10 further hostages freed. Israel will then release up to 150 more Palestinian detainees.

The process will not get under way until Thursday. The Israeli government has issued a list of the 300 inmates who would be freed. Under the country’s constitution citizens have 24 hours to appeal to the Supreme Court against individual releases. This option, it is thought, is unlikely to be pursued successfully.

All Israeli and American air activity, including drone flights, are due to stop in the south of Gaza for the four days. In the north of the territory, however, the suspension will be limited to six hours every day. Israeli forces will stay in position, but will not carry out any offensive operations.

Much needed humanitarian assistance will be boosted with 200 lorries carrying food, four fuel tankers, and four lorries carrying gas going into Gaza from Egypt’s Rafah crossing on each of the four days.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will get access to the hostages to check on their physical and mental well-being, and the conditions under which they are being kept, something the families of the hostages and the Israeli government has been pressing to happen.

Some of the hostages suffer from illnesses which need medical care and some have been injured during their abduction. Among those taken away was a Thai worker who was nine months pregnant and may have given birth. There are many in their 70s and 80s who are afflicted by high blood pressure and may suffer strokes if they do not receive the required medication.

Netanyahu: ‘We are at war, and the war will continue until all our goals are achieved’ (AFP)

The families of the hostages have welcomed the ICRC access, but there is trepidation among some that the Israeli military may try to carry out rescue operations if they track down the location of the hostages, and these could go wrong with potentially fatal consequences.

“I’m really conflicted about this. Obviously it’s a very good thing that the Red Cross is getting the visits to help people with medical conditions. But would the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] find out the locations and then try rescue missions if they did? It’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t,” said the brother of a young man who was kidnapped from the Supernova musical festival.

“Until now I would have said ‘hell yes’ go and save the hostages with a rescue attempt. But now with this deal in place, with progress being made, I’ve become very nervous about something like that. Things can go wrong on these things even with best precautions taken.”

The brother, who has spoken regularly to Israeli and foreign media since the war began, did not want his identity disclosed on this occasion. “This is a very tense time, delicate time. People can take things wrongly, think I’m appeasing the terrorists. The fact is, we are all very nervous about things going wrong now,” he wanted to explain.

Relations of women and children who are likely to be freed in the first tranche remain apprehensive. Yosi Shnaider’s cousin, Shiri Bibas, and her two children – 10-month old baby Kfir, and four-year-old Ariel – were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

He said: “We saw a photo of them with Hamas, there was blood on one of the kid’s blankets. Shiri looked terrified, she was crying. We do not know what has happened to them, what kind of state they are in.

“They should be in the first 50 freed, but we’ve heard nothing. Hamas is playing games, first of all they said they did not know where all the women and children were. Then they say they will give 10 names at a time. We don’t trust them, everyone is very worried. Anyway, what’ll happen after this? Will the government try to destroy Hamas like they said, or will the war just end?”

There was cautious hope among some international leaders that the temporary ceasefires will lead to an end to the fighting. Qatar’s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the deal should establish a “comprehensive and sustainable agreement” that would “put an end to the war and the bloodshed”. He added that this could “lead to serious talks for a comprehensive and just peace process”.

However the near unanimous cabinet approval for the hostage deal, with only the party of the ultra-right security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, voting against it, was on the pledge that the truce was strictly temporary. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his ministers: “We are at war, and the war will continue until all our goals are achieved.”

The stated goal of the Israeli government is the total destruction of Hamas and the liquidation of its leadership and command and control. That has not been achieved yet and it remains unlikely that peace will break out in the immediate future.