5 months ago
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(NewsNation) — The ceasefire deal successful Gaza and the merchandise of the first 3 hostages is bittersweet for 1 parent who mislaid her 23-year-old American son, Hersh Goldberg, to the war.
The ceasefire woody successful Gaza is successful effect arsenic of Sunday morning, aft astir falling isolated successful the last hours with Hamas holding retired connected releasing the database of hostage names. Ultimately, Hamas announced the names of 3 surviving pistillate hostages who were successfully freed to Israeli officials Sunday day section time.
The woody was excessively precocious for Rachel Goldberg-Polin and her family, but she remains hopeful for the different grieving families.
“I woke up this morning, and I felt tremendous relief,” Goldberg-Polin said connected NewsNation’s “Morning successful America with Hena Doba” connected Sunday. “I americium a parent who is going to beryllium processing the nonaccomplishment of her lone lad for the remainder of my life, but I americium truthful relieved for these families.”
She described her son, who was executed by Hamas 5 months ago, arsenic a “happy-go-lucky, positive, wide-eyed person of listening, tiny ego, curious, beauteous young man."
She compared him to a angiosperm "that's astir to unfastened up," arsenic she hopes his representation volition "serve arsenic a blessing and arsenic information to bash and beryllium better."
This undated photograph provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her lad Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old from Jerusalem was past seen erstwhile Hamas militants loaded him into the backmost of a pickup motortruck with different hostages abducted from a euphony festival successful the occidental Negev Desert connected Oct. 7. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP)First hostages released
Three women -- Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari -- were handed implicit to the Red Cross connected the archetypal time of the ceasefire. They are present successful Israel and volition soon beryllium medically evaluated.
The three-phase ceasefire began with this captive exchange, with Israel releasing 1,700 Palestinian prisoners successful instrumentality successful the archetypal phase. Thirty-three hostages held captive by Hamas are expected to beryllium released successful the archetypal six weeks arsenic well.
No Americans were released connected the archetypal time of the ceasefire, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told NewsNation, but they are expected to beryllium freed wrong the archetypal six weeks.
Phase two volition see the instrumentality of the remaining surviving Israel hostages, including antheral soldiers, and Israeli forces volition retreat from Gaza. The 3rd signifier is expected to code the handing implicit of the remaining bodies of dormant hostages and the commencement of Gaza’s reconstruction, according to President Joe Biden.
The youngest hostage was kidnapped erstwhile helium was 9 months old, celebrating his 2nd day the time earlier the ceasefire’s start. And 64 radical volition stay successful captivity.
“We cannot beryllium celebrating until each azygous 1 is home, and until this woody is complete,” Goldberg-Polin said.
The warfare began 471 days agone connected Oct. 7, 2023. In that time, radical of antithetic backgrounds faced a life-changing event.
“Now the remaining hostages comprise 23 antithetic nationalities. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. And I started to deterioration the fig due to the fact that truthful galore radical would inquire maine during interviews, conscionable connected the thoroughfare randomly, however galore days has it been and I decided precise aboriginal connected that this is going to beryllium my individuality until each azygous 1 of these hostages comes home.”
More than 46,000 Palestinians person died successful the war, according to officials.
In a post to X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented connected the hostage release.
"Romi, Doron and Emily - an full federation embraces you, with congratulations connected your homecoming. This infinitesimal was achieved acknowledgment to the sacrifice and warring of our heroic fighters - the heroes of Israel. I promise: We volition bring everyone home!" Netanyahu wrote, translated from Hebrew.
Is the ceasefire woody enough?
Jon Polin, left, and Rachel Goldberg, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, talk connected signifier during the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, successful Chicago. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)It’s been 5 months since Goldberg-Polin mislaid her son. Is the woody enough?
“Well, if this woody gets each azygous idiosyncratic home, it is enough,” she said. “If this woody adjacent saves 1 beingness according to Jewish contented and really to Islamic tradition, 1 beingness is 1 universe. So, if we tin prevention 1 universe, 3 universes, 33 universes, that's wonderful, but we person an obligation, a moral, ethical work to prevention 98 universes.”
Goldberg-Polin said she wants to spot Trump basal by his promises.
“This woody could person happened backmost successful the summer, and Hersh and 3 of the radical who helium was executed with would person been released. But I don't deliberation anymore that it's steadfast nor adjuvant to dwell connected that,” Goldberg-Polin said. “That was not the destiny for our six families of the beauteous six who were tortured, starved and murdered successful that lightless, airless passageway that wasn't meant to be.”
She is looking up and not behind.
“I genuinely judge determination is airy ahead, and we each request to beryllium looking toward the light.”
