Joy and Anger in Israel

There was much joy in Israel on Sunday 19th January when three hostages were freed in exchange for the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners.

One expression of the joy came from Mandy Damari, mother of Emily, who said she was “finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” going on to say that Emily is “doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated.”

But CBN News reported that there was anger in Israel as well as joy, because the ceasefire has allowed Hamas to reassert control in the Gaza Strip. Armed members of Hamas took to the streets of Gaza on Sunday, declaring victory over Israel as soon as the ceasefire came into effect.

Some of that anger was displayed when Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and two other ministers from his Jewish Power party resigned due to their opposition to the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The Israelis have made extensive preparations for treating the released hostages, and were pleased to see the first three in fairly good shape. However, the Head of Health Services at the Hostages’ Families and Missing Forum warned on Monday morning that recovery will be a lifelong journey, explaining that:

“They spent so long with their fellow hostages that they feel guilty
about doing anything enjoyable – even though they should be able to.
This sense of guilt toward those still in captivity is holding back their recovery.”

Separately, the United Nations (UN) reported that more than 630 truckloads of humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, at least 300 of which went to the northern section, where the UN claims a famine is looming.

The following update on the situation comes from the Times of Israel: