Hamas has promised to return 50 hostages to Israel and Israel to release 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli grandfather Gilad Korngold is both happy and worried. Hamas is about to release 50 hostages it took from Israel.
Seven Korngold family members disappeared in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and Korngold believes Hamas terrorists kidnapped them and took them to Gaza. He does not have certain information about it, just as he does not know whether his family members could be among the hostages who will be released. That’s why he has conflicting feelings.
Among Korngold’s missing family members are her eight- and three-year-old grandchildren Naveh and Yahel as well as the children’s parents, Korngold’s son Tal Shoham and his wife Adi.
Also the mother of the boy’s wife Adi Shoshanaunt Sharon and a 12-year-old relative girl Noah are probably prisoners in Gaza.
Korngold said earlier in an interview with Israeli mediathat the relatives were kidnapped from the Be’er kibbutz, where Korngold’s daughter-in-law Adi Shoham had grown up and where the family had been visiting on the fateful weekend.
The 63-year-old Korngold’s concern for his loved ones is so great that he has only been able to sleep with the help of strong sleeping pills in recent weeks, he said in an interview with the news agency Reuters on Wednesday morning.
The night before, it was confirmed that Hamas will release about a fifth of the 240 people it kidnapped as hostages.
– No one has said whether my family is involved in this contract. There are 40 children imprisoned in Gaza, and only 30 will be released. Where are the rest? Korngold asks.
Release of prisoners starting on Thursday
Uncertainty gnaws at dozens of other Israeli families, who do not yet know if their loved ones will soon be among those to be released. Few people even know if the abducted loved ones are even alive.
Hamas captured by terrorists In the attack at the beginning of October, people other than Israelis were killed, including Americans, Thais and Argentines, as well as dual citizens of Israel and other countries.
– No one can understand how we feel. Imagine that your own child is not sleeping in a bed under a blanket, but is in a tunnel deep underground, says Korngold.
The release of prisoners is expected to begin tomorrow, Thursday. Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu according to the office, Hamas releases at least ten women and children a day.
According to Netanyahu, Israel is ready to continue the ceasefire as long as Hamas releases ten hostages every day.
Israel releases imprisoned youth and women
The agreement brokered by Qatar on a four-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange was sealed the night before Wednesday.
In exchange for 50 Hamas hostages, Israel will release 150 Palestinians from its prisons. Most of them are 17 and 18 years old.
The youngest Palestinian prisoners released by Israel are the Ministry of Justice published list including 14-year-olds.
Israel is prepared to later release at least 150 more prisoners in exchange for another group of 50 hostages.
Human rights organization According to Human Rights Watch Israel has about 200 women and 60 children in its prisons. According to the organization, some of the children have been imprisoned for “relatively minor crimes, such as throwing stones” at Israeli soldiers.
Head of the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners in the West Bank Qadura Fares tells Reuters that he is satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations.
According to him, the agreement also shows Israel that it has more to gain at the negotiating table than militarily.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP