ATLANTA — Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday as part of a ceasefire with Israel, which is expected to release nearly 2,000 imprisoned Palestinians.
All the latest developments, on Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m.
Here in Atlanta, anticipation has been building throughout Sunday as families waited, watched and held their breath for news from overseas.
It’s been two years of the Israel-Hamas war, and the emotional toll is being felt half a world away.
Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, CEO of Hillels of Georgia, says he’s worn a hostage badge for those two years as a constant reminder of the lives still in limbo.
“For two years, many of us have worn these hostage badges saying, ‘Bring them home now.’ And if this actually happens, and we can take this off, it’s a miracle.”
Rabbi Sernovitz says that miracle would mean more than just freedom. It would represent a rare moment of shared humanity.
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“For both Israelis and Palestinians, wouldn’t it be amazing if this miracle actually happened, where there was peace, where people could live side by side without threats to their humanity or existence?” Sernovitz added.
Former executive director of the Arab American Institute, Nidal Ibrahim, says the war has personally devastated his family.
“I was born right outside of Jerusalem. My wife’s family hails from Gaza. We’ve lost over 150 members in this genocide,” said Ibrahim.
In Sandy Springs, Rabbi Joshua Heller says his congregation has also been living in grief and uncertainty but continues to hold onto hope.
“It’s a very tense and uncertain time for us. This is something we’ve been hoping for, for two years,” said Heller.
Atlanta artist Hamza Arman, whose family is from the West Bank, has been using his art to process his emotions about the war.
“It went from just making maps out of natural wood to adding barbed wire and painting it red, signifying the bloody trail it leaves,” said Arman.
He says his work began to evolve just days before the war started.
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“When people see it, I’ve had them cry more than once because it’s heavy,” said Arman.
Despite their differences, these Atlanta voices share one thing: hope.
“We just hope that it leads to something better for everyone,” said Rabbi Heller.
“You hope these glimmers of hope lead to something substantial,” added Ibrahim.
According to Israeli officials, the 20 living hostages will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross before being reunited with their families at the Reim military base in southern Israel.
It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel will release around 2,000 Palestinians, including roughly 1,700 who were detained without charge since the start of the war and about 250 serving prison sentences.
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