'No one left behind': Israeli hostage families make plea as truce countdown begins

In Tel Aviv, Bel Trew finds hope amid pain as Netanyahu's security cabinet finally approves historic Gaza ceasefire

- Bel Trew and Chris Stevenson

Families across Israel and Gaza are anxiously counting down the hours to the start of a historic ceasefire in Gaza after 15 months of brutal war that has devastated the territory. The truce will allow the return of hostages held since the start of the conflict.

Benjamin Netanyahu has said he expects the hostages to begin being released tomorrow, with Israel approving the deal in the early hours of this morning. It will bring relief to families who have had to deal with the loss of loved ones amid the devastation wrought on Gaza – though they acknowledge the truce is a fragile thing that needs work to last beyond its initial six weeks.

One family member of a hostage told The Independent that “we must go all the way with the ceasefire deal, no one should be left behind” while another said that “enough is enough, bring everyone home”.

The Israeli security cabinet recommended approving the Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal yesterday, with the rest of the government cabinet following suit several hours later, paving the way for the truce to begin tomorrow.

Hamas triggered the war with a cross-border attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and left around 250 others captive. Israel believes 94 of those are still held in Gaza, with about 60 still alive.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who say women and children make up more than half of those killed. Around 90 per cent of Gaza’s 2.3 million population have been forced from their homes at least once thanks to the bombardment, with much of the enclave left a wasteland.

Speaking from Hostage Square, where families hold regular protests demanding the government bring their relatives home, Shay Dickmann, a 29-year-old medical student whose cousins Carmel Gat and Yarden Roman-Gat were captured on 7 October, tells