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(NewsNation) — The ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of first three hostages is bittersweet for a mother who lost her 23-year-old American son, Hersh Goldberg, to the war.
The truce agrees Gaza is in effect from Sunday morning, after nearly falling apart in the final hours when Hamas held off on releasing the list of hostage names. In the end, Hamas announced the names of three living female hostages who were successfully freed to Israeli officials on Sunday afternoon local time.
The deal came too late for Rachel Goldberg-Polin and her family, but she remains hopeful for the other grieving families.
“I woke up this morning and I felt a tremendous sense of relief,” Goldberg-Polin said on NewsNations “Morning in America with Hena Doba” on Sunday. “I’m a mother who is going to process the loss of her only son for the rest of my life, but I’m so relieved on behalf of these families.”
She described her son, who was executed by Hamas five months ago, as a “happy, positive, wide-eyed lover of listening, small ego, curious, handsome young man.”
She compared him to a flower “about to open” as she hopes his memory will “serve as a blessing and as motivation to do and be better.”
The first hostages released
Three women – Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari – were handed over to the Red Cross on the first day of the ceasefire. They are now in Israel and will soon be medically examined.
The three-phase ceasefire began with this prisoner exchange, with Israel releasing 1,700 Palestinian prisoners in return in the first phase. Thirty-three hostages held by Hamas are also expected to be released within the first six weeks.
No The Americans were released on the first day of the ceasefire, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told NewsNation, but they are expected to be released within the first six weeks.
Phase two will include the return of the remaining living Israeli hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza. The third phase is expected to deal with the handover of the remaining bodies of dead hostages and the start of Gaza’s reconstruction, according to President Joe Biden.
The youngest hostage was kidnapped when he was nine months old and celebrated his second birthday the day before the ceasefire started. And 64 people will remain in captivity.
“We can’t celebrate until everyone is home and until this deal is done,” Goldberg-Polin said.
The war began 471 days ago on October 7, 2023. During that time, people from different backgrounds faced a life-changing event.
“Now the remaining hostages include 23 different nationalities. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. And I started wearing the number because so many people would ask me during interviews, just on the street randomly, how many days it has been , and I decided very early on that this would be my identity until every single one of these hostages comes home.”
According to officials, more than 46,000 Palestinians have died in the war.
In one mail to Xcommented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the hostage release.
“Romi, Doron and Emily – an entire nation embraces you, congratulations on your homecoming. This moment was achieved thanks to the sacrifice and struggles of our heroic warriors – the heroes of Israel. I promise: We will bring everyone home!” Netanyahu wrote, translated from Hebrew.
Is the ceasefire agreement enough?
It has been five months since Goldberg-Polin lost her son. Is the agreement enough?
“Well, if this deal gets every single person home, that’s enough,” she said. “If this agreement at all saves a life according to Jewish tradition and indeed Islamic tradition, one life is one universe. So if we can save one universe, three universes, 33 universes, that’s wonderful, but we have an obligation, a moral, ethical obligation to save 98 universes.”
Goldberg-Polin said she wants to see Trump keep his promises.
“This deal could have happened back in the summer, and Hersh and three of the people he was executed with would have been released. But I no longer think it’s healthy or helpful to dwell on it,” Goldberg said- Polin. “That was not the fate of our six families of the beautiful six, who were tortured, starved and murdered in the lightless, airless tunnel, as it was not meant to be.”
She looks forward and not behind.
“I truly believe there is light ahead and we must all look towards the light.”
