NEW YORK (PIX11) -- A long-awaited ceasefire in the Middle East is closer than ever.
It’s a key milestone President Joe Biden highlighted Wednesday night in his farewell address to the nation.
Twelve hundred Israelis were killed on October 7, which sparked a war that claimed at least 46,000 lives in Gaza.
“This [ceasefire] plan was developed by my team and will be implemented by the incoming administration," President Biden said from the Oval Office.
The fate of 98 hostages will soon be known. Three local families of hostages are hoping to have their sons back, dead or alive.
After 15 months of relentless bombardments, there was jubilation in Gaza and hope in Israel.
The ceasefire deal, brokered with U.S. assistance, is set to start on Sunday.
Israel has agreed to withdraw its troops from Gaza, while 33 American and Israeli hostages will be released over a six-week period.
In exchange, 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be handed over, and 600 daily truckloads of humanitarian aid will flow into Gaza.
Ruby Chen, a New York native whose son Itay was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, expressed his continued anguish.
“We were notified that he’s not going to come back alive, but we have no proof,” Chen said.
Kamal Almashharawi, 25, fled the Gaza Strip last year with 30 family members. “Two of my aunts and cousins weren’t hit by bombs but died of malnutrition,” he said. “Bullets and bombs were all over the place. We were in danger and about to be killed. Today, for us, is a relief.”
Families of the hostages have mixed emotions.
“There is a 42-day period before the second phase begins,” Chen said. “If there’s anything that’s predictable, it’s that everything is unpredictable.”
Long Island’s Omer Neutra had previously been declared dead. Meanwhile, Edan Alexander of New Jersey was recently seen in a hostage video. His parents in Tenafly are holding out hope.
“Edan, you’re a hero,” his mother Yael Alexander said. “You’re strong and survived. Please survive more, and you will come back home.”
English (US) ·