Relatives of hostages set to be freed in Sunday’s ceasefire say they do not know whether to prepare for “a festival or a funeral” as tensions between both sides soared just hours before the deal was slated to begin.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a fresh warning on Saturday evening, saying his government was “unable to move forward with the framework” of the deal, sparking further concerns about the fragile agreement. He said Israel had yet to receive the list of the hostages who will be released, as was agreed.
“Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. Hamas is solely responsible,” he said, before threatening a continuation of hostilities. “We are holding onto some significant assets to ensure the return all of the hostages fighting. We withhold the right to resume fighting if the second stage seems pointless.
“If we resume combat we will do it in new ways and in tremendous force. Hamas tried to dictate to us but I adamantly objected. We retain the right to resume the war if we are not satisfied with the backing of the US.”
Israeli warplanes and tanks pounded the Gaza Strip in the hours leading up to the truce, hitting 50 “targets” since Friday, the Israeli military said. Israeli tanks shelled Gaza City, and airstrikes hit central and southern Gaza, including displaced people in tents in the so-called humanitarian zone of the Mawasi area. In total, since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday, Palestinian media said strikes have killed at least 123 Palestinians.
Families of those expected to be among the first batch to be released said they were worried that the deal is so complicated and fragile that it could easily collapse before the remaining 65 hostages are due to be freed.
They are also concerned that no one knows how many of the 33 hostages set to be released in the first six weeks are still alive. Israeli media reported that eight of them may have passed away during the last 15 months of captivity under fire.
Daniel Lifshitz, whose 84-year-old grandfather Oded is among the oldest hostages due to be released, said the last known proof of life the family had was from November 2023.
Oded, a retired journalist and peace activist who has British family, was seized along with his wife Yocheved from Nir Oz on 7 October. He has a lung disease and high blood pressure and was last seen by another hostage over a year ago.
“I don’t know what to prepare for: a festival or a funeral,” he told The Independent on Saturday evening. “Both are really possible. So how can I prepare for one of them and face the other? Time will tell.
“We just hope that the miracle will come. That he will return on two legs and we will accept him with blessings and love.
“Maybe it’s time humanity is coming back. Humanitarian aid is going into Gaza. Our hostages are coming back.”
In Gaza, families said they were cautiously optimistic about the ceasefire but were increasingly worried as the strip was pounded by airstrikes.
“We are trying not to get too excited in case things don’t go as planned,” said Ansam, 20, who has been displaced five times and lost over a dozen members of her extended family. “At night the airstrikes are heavy,” she added.
