As Israel awaits the finalization of a deal set to return the last 48 remaining captives from Gaza, freed hostages, supporters, and family members gathered in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square with a wide range of emotions, expressing shared relief and cautious optimism. For many, the impending agreement, brokered by US President Donald Trump, represents the nation’s first chance to begin healing from the devastation of the past two years.
For communities devastated by the massacre, the deal marks a vital turning point. Anat Ron-Kendall, 57, was born and raised on Kibbutz Nahal Oz, which was devastated by the attacks. Ron-Kendall, whose parents were founders of the kibbutz and whose father was murdered on October 7, shared the deeply personal stakes of the day. She spoke on behalf of advocates for her community’s last captive, Omri Miran, a member of the kibbutz.
Ron-Kendall recalled seeing Omri’s wife and children after their rescue, she told The Jerusalem Post at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Thursday afternoon. "Everybody was so shocked. We were all the victims and survivors. We were all just shell shocked".
She shared a message of unity and sorrow, telling The Jerusalem Post: "What's important for the people in the world to know is that the nation, Israeli people, but also across the world... The nation is bleeding," She emphasized the collective strength: "There's so much sorrow and pain, but at the same time, there's a lot of shared burden, a shared grief, all for one another". She concluded with a hopeful note: "And today is a good day. We're all here together to experience these things together".
The sentiment of gratitude for the deal's architects was prominent. Dr. Gili Cohen-Taguri, dressed in a costume as President Trump, told the Post the deal "wouldn't have happened without Trump". She continued, "I think he deserves a Nobel Prize because what is happening, it's not just the hostages that will come back. I believe that peace will come to this area. To the Middle East."
Survivors: 'This isn't over yet'
Adding a powerful layer of testimony to the event were captivity survivors, who reminded the public that the fight continues until the very last hostage returns.
Omer Shem Tov, a captivity survivor, spoke of the immense joy the hostages' return will bring: "How much happiness, how much light they will bring to this nation - you can't even imagine how much light they will bring," he said.
Shem Tov detailed the homecoming he envisions for those still waiting: "I imagine that moment when they cross the border and arrive in Israel, and we who returned last will finally experience the homecoming... How they'll arrive at Re'im, finally able to shower, put on their own clothes from their own closet, and then see their parents again."
Despite the joy, he cautioned: "With all the joy and happiness, I have to say - this isn't over yet. Let's keep praying, sending positive energy, keep fighting until they all come back.”
Captivity survivor Amit Soussana shared a poignant reflection on the day's heavy rain: "When I heard the rain this morning, I was taken back to my second day in Gaza. The rain then emphasized the pain and chaos. This time it was different—not rain of pain, but rain of blessing.”
Soussana expressed empathy for the waiting families and the immense political difficulty of the deal: "I understand the difficulty and feel the pain of the families of those murdered who are forced to watch those who harmed their loved ones being released from prison. We will not forget and we will not forgive. We will not rest until the last hostage returns home."
She also spoke of her deep concern for the captives themselves: "I can't stop thinking about what they're going through right now, what they know, whether they truly believe this time is real, whether they actually believe they're coming home.”
New chapter of healing
Filled with spirit, singing and dancing in the square, young people at the rally emphasized that the release would finally allow the country to move toward recovery. Oren Lahav, 17, a content creator from Holon, expressed his immense excitement: "I'm feeling so smiley and energetic, and I'm so excited to be here... We've been waiting for it for a long time.”
He added that the country needs "a lot of patience" and that healing is "unprecedented". Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz noted the palpable shift in atmosphere: "There's a different smile, there's a different light... It's kind of like very Israeli things". He cautioned that the work is not over, stressing that healing requires a "collective rehab, not of drugs, but of like spiritual like attacks on us and energy.”
Dillz, whose experience included filming a movie about freeing the hostages, reflected on the emotional overload of the past two years: "We’ve all become a hostage to this new life... And now I get to have a great new ending with the hostages coming home. But then what?".
He ended his message by calling on families to use this moment to find greater intimacy: "Bring our families closer together through this. Have the conversations you don't want to have. Have the courage. If people could go through hell and come out of it, why can't we have the normal conversations we need to have with people?".
The crisis has, for many, provided a necessary moment of national unity in a politically divided country. Noa Mozes, 17, from Gedera, told the Post, "At the start we were very united, and we have been very politically divided lately… Now we're starting to feel united again. It's very nice". Tal Goldratt, 18, who attends the weekly "Evyatar's Jams" - a music session named for hostage Evyatar David - explained the power of this unity: "Music is a fun thing, but it comes with a sad reason. It’s a good thing. And that's what makes it so strong".
Mozes also called on the global community to investigate the reality of the conflict: "I want to tell the world to really investigate... for what is really happening. And not only what the Palestinians are showing us. Because most of the it's not true". As the deal approaches, the supporters' unified message remains: "Am Yisrael Chai!"