Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Families of Gaza Hostages Hope for Ceasefire Following Israel-Iran Truce
  • Local news

Families of Gaza Hostages Hope for Ceasefire Following Israel-Iran Truce

    The families of hostages held in Gaza hope for their own ceasefire after truce in Israel-Iran war
    Up next
    College campuses could be ground zero for Iranian sleeper cells plotting to harm Americans, experts warn
    Experts Warn: Iranian Sleeper Cells on College Campuses Could Threaten Americans
    Published on 26 June 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • After,
    • Benjamin Netanyahu,
    • Ceasefire,
    • Donald Trump,
    • families,
    • for,
    • Gaza,
    • held,
    • HOPE,
    • hostages,
    • IsraelIran,
    • Liran Berman,
    • OWN,
    • Religion,
    • The,
    • their,
    • truce,
    • war,
    • world news,
    • Ziv Berman
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    OR AKIVA – For 629 days, Liran Berman has faced despair as his twin brothers have been held captive in Gaza. Attempts at ceasefire agreements have failed, the conflict has extended, and his brothers remain as hostages within the Palestinian region.

    However, new developments in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, along with a U.S.-mediated ceasefire that paused 12 days of warfare, have reignited Berman’s hope that his brothers, Gali and Ziv, might soon be freed.

    Iran has suffered significant setbacks due to nearly two weeks of intense Israeli attacks. Berman hopes that this situation leaves Hamas, supported by Iranian funds and arms, more isolated than ever since the conflict in Gaza started. This could lead to the militant group reconsidering its stance in negotiations.

    “Now it’s the time to pressure them and tell them, look, you are on your own. No one is coming to your help. This is it,” Berman said. “I think the dominoes fell into place, and it’s time for diplomacy to reign now.”

    A long nightmare for the families of hostages

    During their Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Most have been freed in ceasefire deals, but 50 remain captive, less than half of them believed to still be alive.

    The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children.

    The families of hostages have faced a 20-month-long nightmare, trying to advocate for their loved ones’ fates while confronted with the whims of Israeli and Hamas leaders and the other crises that have engulfed the Middle East.

    Israel’s war with Iran, the first between the two countries, pushed the hostage crisis and the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza to the sidelines. Hostage families again found themselves forced to fight for the spotlight with another regional conflagration.

    But as the conflict eases, the families are hoping mediators seize the momentum to push for a new ceasefire deal.

    “The achievements in Iran are important and welcome, enabling us to end the war from a position of strength with Israel holding the upper hand,” said the Hostages Families Forum, a grassroots organization representing many of the hostage families.

    “To conclude this decisive operation against Iran without leveraging our success to bring home all the hostages would be a grave failure.”

    Netanyahu may have more room to maneuver

    It’s not just a diminished Iran and its impact on Hamas that gives hostage families hope. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose.

    Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will only end the war once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected.

    Berman said the ceasefire between Israel and Iran has left him the most optimistic since a truce between Israel and Hamas freed 33 Israeli hostages earlier this year. Israel shattered that ceasefire after eight weeks, and little progress has been made toward a new deal.

    The Israeli government team coordinating hostage negotiations has told the families it now sees a window of opportunity that could force Hamas to be “more flexible in their demands,” Berman said.

    Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ is in disarray

    Over the past four decades, Iran built up a network of militant proxy groups it called the “ Axis of Resistance ” that wielded significant power across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and militias in Iraq and Syria.

    Hamas may have envisioned the Oct. 7, 2023, attack as a catalyst that would see other Iranian-sponsored militants attack Israel. While Hezbollah and the Houthis launched projectiles toward Israel, the support Hamas had counted on never fully materialized. In the past two years, many of those Iranian proxies have been decimated, changing the face of the Middle East.

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran has also given many hostage families hope that he might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza.

    “We probably need Trump to tell us to end the war in Gaza,” Berman said.

    Inseparable twins who remain in captivity

    Gali and Ziv Berman, 27, were taken from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, on the border with Gaza, during the Oct. 7 attack. Seventeen others were also abducted there; of those, only the Berman twins remain captive.

    The family has heard from hostages who returned in the previous deal that, as of February, the brothers were alive but being held separately.

    Liran Berman said that’s the longest the two have ever spent apart. Until their abduction, they were inseparable, though they are very different, the 38-year-old said.

    In Kfar Aza, the twins lived in apartments across from each other. Gali is more outgoing, while Ziv is more reserved and shy with a sharp sense of humor, their brother said. Gali is the handyman who would drive four hours to help a friend hang a shelf, while Ziv would go along and point to where the shelf needed to go.

    The war with Iran, during which Iranian missiles pounded Israeli cities for 12 days, gave Liran Berman a sense of what his brothers have endured as bombs rained down on Gaza, he said.

    “The uncertainty and the fear for your life for any moment, they are feeling it for 20 months,” he said. “Every moment can be your last.”

    ___

    Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    An asteroid might be heading for the moon. Should we nuke it?
    • Local news

    Could a potential collision between an asteroid and the moon lead us to consider using nuclear intervention?

    If an asteroid were directed toward a collision with the moon, what…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Government shutdown officially begins
    • Local news

    Official Start of Government Shutdown

    IE 11 is not supported. For the best experience, please visit our…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Frazier steps in as Liberty Co. superintendent, stresses literacy and parent engagement
    • Local news

    Frazier Takes Charge as Liberty Co. Superintendent, Highlights Focus on Literacy and Parent Involvement

    LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. () – The Liberty County School System board has…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    3 members of Democratic caucus buck Schumer on government funding vote
    • Local news

    Three Democratic Caucus Members Oppose Schumer’s Vote on Government Funding

    On Tuesday, three Senate Democrats parted ways with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    'The juveniles took Claxton': Resident, mayor react to recent shootings
    • Local news

    “Residents and Mayor Respond to Recent Shootings Involving Juveniles in Claxton”

    CLAXTON, Ga. — In response to four shootings over two weeks in…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Illini's Justin Bowick serving as 'friendly' red zone target for Altmyer
    • Local news

    Illini’s Justin Bowick Emerges as Go-To Red Zone Target for Altmyer

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois wide receiver Justin Bowick doesn’t lead the…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Cuban foreign minister says Rubio's 'personal' agenda in Latin America risks Trump's peace prospects
    • Local news

    Cuban Foreign Minister Warns Rubio’s ‘Personal’ Agenda Threatens Trump’s Peace Efforts in Latin America

    NEW YORK – Recent U.S. actions in the Caribbean stem from Secretary…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    US government shuts down after Congress fails to find funding deal
    • Local news

    U.S. Government Closes Due to Congress’s Inability to Agree on Funding

    The federal government entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday as congressional…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Celeste Rivas Hernandez had troubled home life, ex-boyfriend says
    • Local news

    Ex-Boyfriend Reveals Difficulties in Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Home Life

    () An ex-boyfriend of Celeste Rivas Hernandez says she was not in…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Smoke, burning smell prompts evacuation of Riverton Middle School
    • Local news

    Riverton Middle School Evacuated Due to Smoke and Burning Odor

    RIVERTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Firefighters from various departments in Sangamon County were…
    • Internewscast
    • September 30, 2025
    Trump administration says Minnesota violates Title IX by allowing trans athletes in girls sports
    • Local news

    Trump Administration Claims Minnesota Breaches Title IX by Permitting Trans Athletes in Girls’ Sports

    MINNEAPOLIS – The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that Minnesota and its…
    • Internewscast
    • September 30, 2025
    5 takeaways as a government shutdown begins
    • Local news

    5 Key Insights as a Government Shutdown Commences

    (The Hill) – The government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Moore River drowning
    • AU

    Wife ‘in shock’ after WA father drowns attempting to rescue children

    It’s understood aged care worker Tshering Penjor was a strong swimmer, with…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Russia stages nationwide nuclear war alarm test amid WW3 fears
    • News

    Russia Conducts Nationwide Nuclear War Drill Amid Global Tensions

    Russia has conducted a comprehensive nuclear war drill across the nation, heightening…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Nicole Kidman files for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage
    • AU

    Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Announce Split After 19 Years Together

    Nicole Kidman has filed for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    When does Yom Kippur start in 2025? What do you say on Yom Kippur?
    • US

    2025 Yom Kippur Start Date and Greetings Explained

    Yom Kippur is a somber holiday, so you shouldn’t tell someone “Happy…
    • Internewscast
    • October 1, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.