Or Akiva (Israel), June 26: Liran Berman, a Palestinian hostage activist, has been in captivity for 629 days due to the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The US-brokered ceasefire that halted 12 days of fighting has sparked hope that his brothers, Gali and Ziv, may finally return home. Berman believes that Hamas, armed and financed by Iran, is at its most isolated since the war in Gaza began, and that might prompt the militant group to soften its negotiating positions.
The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, with more than half of the dead being women and children. Hostage families have faced a 20-month-long nightmare trying to advocate for their loved ones’ fates while confronting the whims of Israeli and Hamas leaders and other crises in the Middle East. As the conflict eases, the families are hoping mediators seize the momentum to push for a new ceasefire deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have more room to maneuver, as he has more public support for the Iran war and its achievements. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran has left Berman the most optimistic since a truce between Israel and Hamas freed 33 Israeli hostages earlier this year.
Iran’s Axis of Resistance is in disarray, and the war with Iran has given many hostage families hope that he might exert more pressure for a deal in Gaza. (AP)
