'Light at the end of the tunnel': Family of Israeli hostages celebrate ceasefire deal following 'so many false dawns'
15 January 2025, 20:51 | Updated: 15 January 2025, 22:23
The brother-in-law of an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas said reports of a ceasefire are "a light at the end of the tunnel" - following "so many false dawns".
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Israel and Hamas are thought reached an agreement on a ceasefire and hostage deal following 15 months of fierce fighting.
As the prospect of a fragile peace emerged, civilians were seen to take to the streets in both southern Gaza and Tel Aviv, with locals hugging one another as coloured smoke from flares filled the air.
Families of British citizens murdered in the conflict have expressed "cautious optimism" over the agreement.
However, one has warned "there will never be any closure" until all hostages are returned home.
At least a dozen British citizens and some 1,200 Israelis were killed in the surprise Hamas cross-border attack on October 7 2023 - which triggered months of fighting.
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'Cautiously optimistic'
Eli Sharabi, the brother-in-law of Israeli hostage, said reports of the ceasefire are "cautiously optimistic" but that he refuses to get carried away after "so many false dawns".
Stephen Brisley, whose sister Lianne Sharabi was also murdered with her daughters Noiya and Yahel, told the PA news agency: "(It is) difficult to process after waiting so long for this.
"When it finally comes or seems to have come, it's kind of difficult to know how to react and how to feel really, but (I am) obviously cautiously optimistic."
Mr Brisley said he had been "glued" to news outlets both in Gaza and Israel over the last 48 hours before reports intensified on Wednesday.
He said: "I think this afternoon, when it's really landed, it's still difficult to believe that it's happening.
"Because there have been so many false dawns, there's still that part of me that isn't really allowing myself to believe it still, despite the fact that it's been formally announced.
"We still don't know exactly what the framework of it is, exactly what the rate is they'll be released, in what order, and if it is spread out over the course of six weeks. Six weeks is a long time, a lot can happen.
"There are still many moving parts that could very easily fall apart, but obviously it is that bit of joy that we've been looking, for that light at the end of the tunnel."
'Relief'
Meanwhile, the sister of two British citizens murdered said "there will never be any closure" until all Israeli hostages are returned, following reports of a ceasefire.
Ayelet Svatitzky, 47, said the reports emerging on Wednesday were a "relief" after her brothers Roi and Nadav Popplewell both died and her mother Channah Peri was previously taken as a hostage.
Speaking from Israel, she told the PA news agency: "We've been praying for a deal to be signed, and every hostage [being] released is a relief for them, for the families and for us.
"Of course, it's too late for my brother, we will never be able to save them.
"We were able to bring him for burial, and so we know how crucial it is for for a deal to be complete and for all hostages to be brought back, for the live hostages to be released to their families and to start the healing and rehabilitating."
Asked if the reported ceasefire would bring her family closure, Ms Svatitzky said: "There will never be any closure for us until all the hostages are back.
"We'll be worried and we're not able to move on until the last hostage is home."
Crowds of Gazans chanted and embraced as news spread a ceasefire and hostage release deal had been reached.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to local health officials, and an estimated 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced.
Leading charities have warned that an "enormous" increase in humanitarian aid will be needed after the initial ceasefire agreement.
Catherine Russell, executive director of Unicef, said the announcement was "long overdue for the children and families of Gaza who have endured more than a year of bombardment and deprivation".
She said: "The scale of humanitarian needs is enormous, and Unicef and partners are ready to scale up our response.
"The ceasefire must, finally, afford humanitarian actors the opportunity to safely roll out the massive response inside the Gaza Strip that is so desperately needed.
"This includes unimpeded access to reach all children and families with essential food and nutrition, health care and psychosocial support, clean water, and sanitation, education, and learning, as well as cash assistance and the resumption of commercial trucking operations."
