NECN, January 2025
The last 15 months of war in Israel and Gaza have profoundly impacted people in Massachusetts, particularly those with family overseas. While the ceasefire agreement reached Wednesday offers a glimmer of hope after a period of intense suffering, significant uncertainty remains. For some, the news offers a chance to breathe easier. “For the first time in almost 500 days, Palestinians around the world are breathing a sigh of relief,” said Lea Kayali, a Palestinian Youth Movement organizer in Boston. With Israel and Hamas reaching ceasefire, experts wonder what’s next.
More than 15 months since the war began, an agreement has been made to stop the fighting, with hostages and prisoners of war set to be released. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. We have been praying for the return of hostages for 467 days,” said Rabbi Marc Baker, president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies. For families of hostages, however, the news is met with a heavy dose of skepticism. Jason Greenberg of Needham lost two family members in the Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people. Greenberg’s cousin, Ofer Calderon, is among the 33 hostages Hamas has agreed to release in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Greenberg said. “It’s hard to image anybody being able to endure that long, and even come back the same person, so if he comes back alive — that’s a miracle.”
