NewsNation

Families anxiously await return of hostages after ceasefire deal

Meg Hilling

(NewsNation) — Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are anxiously awaiting their return after Israel and Hamas agreed to part of a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan on Wednesday.

President Trump announced in a social media post that the two sides had agreed to “the first phase” of a peace plan he outlined in September, paving the way for the release of an estimated 20 living hostages and relief for nearly 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Trump later offered a timeline for the hostages’ release during a phone call with their families, saying they could be returned as soon as Monday.


Ruby Chen’s son, Itay, has been missing since Oct. 7, 2023. On Thursday, Chen told “Morning in America” he’s hopeful he will see his son next week, but there’s still “anxiety” that Hamas will not be able to find all the remaining Israeli hostages.

“The President did call out for the release of the 48 hostages, but Hamas have said that there are some that they do not know how to find,” Chen said. “So there’s still that piece of anxiety to know that if indeed my son will be one of those that will be coming out.”

This cautious optimism is shared by many of the families who had loved ones taken. Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s son, Hersh, was taken hostage by Hamas and killed after being abducted from the Nova music festival nearly two years ago. Since then, Rachel has been calling for an end to the war between Israel and Hamas.

“You don’t count your chickens before they hatch. All the more so, you don’t count your hostages until they are in your arms, and you are hugging them and they are alive,” Goldberg-Polin told NewsNation earlier this week. “And if God forbid, God forbid they’re not alive, that you have them back to give them a proper and respectful burial.”

According to the American Jewish Committee, these are the names of the hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups: