On January 20, 2025, when Donald Trump takes office, Hamas hostages will have already spent 472 days in captivity. Just before this important day for the United States, negotiations for a ceasefire in the war in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages have achieved new successes. Both the current US President Joe Biden and his successor Donald Trump are putting pressure on the mediators in Qatar.
Last week, Trump even threatened that if the hostages were not released by the time he returned to the White House, "hell will break loose in the Middle East", recalls the German public broadcaster ARD. "This will not be good for Hamas or anyone."
Many Israelis have hope for Trump
After Trump's statement, billboards appeared across Israel with the face of the future US president with a raised fist and the quote: "All hostages must be returned by January 20. Otherwise, all hell will break loose". The campaign is the work of the "Tikvah Forum" collective, which includes the families of several hostages. They are eagerly awaiting Trump's return to the White House. They say they reject proposals for a ceasefire in Gaza. One of them is Talik Gwilyi, the mother of police officer Ran Gwilyi, who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
"We hope Trump keeps his word. "I think by 'opening hell' he means he will stop all humanitarian aid to Gaza, occupy Gaza and send more troops there," Gwilyi told ARD. "The hostages can only be released with more military force. Hamas wants to keep them. I don't think any deal will work. Once the terrorists realize they can control Gaza again, everything will continue," says the mother of kidnapped Ron Gwilyi.
Between Hope and Fear
Another collective - the Forum of Families of the Missing and Hostages, is firmly against continuing military actions and supports a diplomatic solution. Michael Levinson is the brother of Or Levinson, who was kidnapped from the "Nova" festival on October 7. He says he supports Trump's words because, in his opinion, this is a clear sign that the new US president wants to end the war.
Levinson is adamant that the war must end because it is hell for both the hostages and their families. "My brother is almost 190 cm tall, I don't know if he can even stand up in the Hamas tunnels. Not to mention that they hardly get food and water and are locked in cages", the man explains to ARD. Everyone is of the same opinion - the hostages must be returned as soon as possible.
Levinson tells the German public-law media that he has put a poster with the face of his brother Or on his balcony. He shares that the whole family is hopeful, but very afraid, because what is happening to Or is also directly affecting his 4-year-old son Almog, who has been without parents since October 7.
"Everyone has the right to return to the people they love"
The little boy misses his parents - he watches the other children in kindergarten go home with their mom and dad, Levinson tells ARD. Almog gets upset and cries - his mother was killed by Hamas, and nothing is known about his father. The only sign of life they have received from Or in all these days is the video showing him being kidnapped on the day of the festival.
Now Or's name has appeared on the list of hostages who can be released in the first stage of the military ceasefire. "At first we wanted to believe it. "But now it all feels like a psychological game," Levinson said. "Everyone has the right to return to the people they love. It's terrible that someone thinks they can play God," the man said.
A total of 98 people are still being held hostage by Hamas. It's unclear how many of them are alive.