Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza have told the BBC they are hopeful that US President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war will bring their loved ones home.
Viki Cohen, whose son Nimrod is among 20 hostages held in Gaza who are still believed to be alive, said she had woken on Saturday with a sense of “hope and expectation”, but also “fear that something will go wrong”.
“It is a fragile situation and we don’t want to be disappointed again. And yet I feel hope that soon I will see Nimrod and I can hug [him] again.”
Nimrod, now aged 21, was a 19-year-old soldier when he was kidnapped by Hamas near the Gaza border in the 7 October 2023 attacks. In total, 251 people were taken hostage that day, and some 1,200 others were killed.
On Friday, Hamas agreed to release all the remaining Israeli hostages – living and dead – but said it wanted further negotiations on a number of key points outlined in the US peace plan.
After Hamas submitted its response, Trump posted on Truth Social “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE”, as he called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”
In a response overnight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages”.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are now expected to resume in Egypt in the coming days.
On Saturday evening, tens of thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv in support of the deal to end the war ahead of a televised address by Netanyahu to the nation.
Crowds in Hostages Square broke out into chants of “you’re not alone, we’re with you” as families of the hostages take to the stage to call for their return.
“Netanyahu, don’t take our oxygen and our hope,” Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held captive in Gaza, screamed into the microphone.
“To you they’re just hostages, but to me that’s my boy. He’s my life. The hostages are the beating heart of the country.”
Liran Berman demanded the return of his brothers Gali and Ziv.
“With hope comes fear – will the deal be signed? Will I ever see my brothers again?” he said.
“We cannot let another deal collapse. Not again… it is now or never.”
The crowds listened intently as Netanyahu’s statement was aired. The prime minister spoke of the diplomatic and military pressure on Hamas and his hope that he would be able to announce the release of the hostages in the coming days.
Omer Shem Tov, who was abducted from the Nova festival in Israel, led chants of “bring them home”.
He appealed directly to the US president to make sure his deal was enforced.
He said to cheers from the crowd: “We have to make sure this deal happens. We have to make sure Hamas signs it. It’s been two years. The world is watching.”
Earlier on Saturday, Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi was killed in the 7 October attacks and his body taken to Gaza where it remains, said he was optimistic that a deal would be reached.
“We’re seeing President Trump putting his foot down and getting everybody behind him, including the Arab countries and the Israeli prime minister,” he said.
“We need to make sure that there’s a better future for Israelis and Palestinians. Now is the time for action, not for words.”
His views were echoed by other hostage families on Saturday.
In a statement, the family of hostage Eitan Horn said that for “the first time in so many long and painful months, our hearts dare to believe that the release of Eitan – and of all 47 hostages [living and dead] – may finally be near. That soon, they will come home”.
But, they added: “Our hope is tempered by great fear.”
“Until they return, they remain starved, tortured and in constant danger of death.”
Gil Dickman told the BBC he knew too well what it meant to miss a chance for a ceasefire deal.
His cousin Carmel Gat was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri and her body recovered from a tunnel in Gaza almost a year later. The Israeli military said she and five other hostages had been killed shortly before its troops reached them.
“What we saw yesterday is that Hamas gave an answer – they had some agreements with Trump’s plan and some disagreements, but the main thing for me is that they’re willing to go through with this,” he said.
“We’ve had so many other chances before that were missed” but this is a “very, very important stage in the process… and maybe gets us close to getting this war over with”.
