Nightmare drags on for families of hostages who remain in Gaza

Families of hostages in Gaza await release, pin hopes on Trump administration, desperate for progress in ceasefire talks.

Yael Alexander has been watching the release of hostages from Gaza over the past six weeks with a mix of joy, envy and fear. Her son Edan, an American-Israeli hostage held for over 500 days, is not yet on the list of those to be freed.

As uncertainty swirls over the future of the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the families of hostages still in Gaza are struggling to maintain hope that they will see their loved ones soon.

“This is a critical time,” said Ms. Alexander, whose son was a 19-year-old soldier when he was abducted by Hamas-led militants.

“I know my son is probably in tunnels, so I understand that he’s not seeing sunlight, and the air is very thin underground,” said Ms. Alexander. “It’s very, very difficult for me to even think about it.”

The ceasefire deal that paused the 15-months long war in Gaza has held despite repeated crises. But with its first stage coming to an end this week, its fate remains unclear.

The two sides were supposed to negotiate a second phase in which Hamas would release all of the remaining living hostages taken during its October 7, 2023, attack, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

But the sides haven’t even started those talks, leaving the families of the remaining hostages terrified for the fate of their loved ones and desperate for progress.