SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Bay Area community leaders are bracing for some groundbreaking developments as Israeli hostages are being freed by Hamas, with Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange.
After more than two years of war and tens of thousands of lives lost, Pres. Donald Trump says the Israel-Hamas War has ended.
Bay Area leaders are hopeful.
“It’s been two years of agony for so many families — Jewish and Israeli families, but also Muslim, Arab and Palestinian families as well,” said Tyler Gregory with the Jewish Community Relations Council.
“I am cautiously optimistic that this will be the end of the genocide in Gaza, but it’s important to note that it is also the beginning of a chapter of rebuilding,” said Zahra Billoo with CAIR SF Bay Area.
Seven hostages have been released at the time of this story’s publication.
“There’s been too many rounds of heartbreak. We’ll believe it when we see it, when we see those 20 hostages that we know are alive, reunited with their families. Hopefully tomorrow, that’s when we’ll be able to breath out a deep sigh of relief,” Gregory said.
Two thousand Palestinian prisoners held in Israel are also set to be released Monday.
“It’s really important for us to acknowledge that for as much as we’ve talked about Israelis being held hostage, there are thousands more Palestinians who are being and have been held hostage,” Billoo said.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, where homes have been reduced to rubble.
Questions remain about the next step — the future of Gaza and the Palestinian people.
“The communities I’ve been talking to, who are Palestinian American, are asking for us to keep pushing for a longstanding peace, but also support and rebuilding a longstanding Gaza and ensuring that Gaza can have fair true elections,” said Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-Oakland).
