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The families of the British hostages held in Gaza say they are full of “fear and anxiety” before Sunday's ceasefire, when the first three captives are likely to be released.
It is set to begin at 8.30am on Sunday, with Israel agreeing to release 737 Palestinian detainees in the first phase. In return, Hamas has agreed to release three female hostages on the first day, four on the seventh day, and another 26 over the subsequent five weeks – they will include children, the sick and elderly.
It is understood that British hostage Emily Damari, from London, could be one of the first of 33 captives scheduled for release, although there has been no official confirmation.
Ms Damari, 28, moved to Israel in her 20s and was taken from her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas on October 7, 2023. She has been in captivity for 470 days.
A group campaigning for the release of Ms Damari and other hostages, Bring Our Daughters Home, said they were apprehensive before the ceasefire.
“Tomorrow feels heavy on my heart. Fear and anxiety are consuming me, and I can’t stop thinking about what might happen,” the group posted on social media site X.
“I’m holding on to hope and praying with everything I have. Please, join me in this prayer – for every daughter, every hostage, to return home safely, alive, and into the arms of their families.
“They’re not just numbers; they’re someone’s world, someone’s everything. Let’s not stop believing in the power of our prayers.”
Earlier this week, Emily's mother Mandy Damari, who is in Israel waiting for news of her daughter, paid tribute to Arsenal and Tottenham football fans who wore yellow ribbons at their derby game calling for the release of all the hostages.
“So grateful to all the Arsenal and Spurs fans supporting Emily tonight at the North London Derby,” she said.
“I know that you don’t agree on very much, which makes it even more special that you have come together to say Bring Her Home. Thank you.”
The families of British citizens killed in the conflict have expressed “cautious optimism” over the ceasefire, warning “there will never be any closure” until all Israeli hostages are returned.
Stephen Brisley, whose sister Lianne Sharabi was killed with her daughters Noiya and Yahel, said there have already been “so many false dawns”. His brother-in-law Eli Sharabi is one of the hostages.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
He admitted he was unsure whether his brother-in-law was still alive.
A UK Foreign Office representative told The National: “The announcement of a ceasefire agreement is a moment of hope after over a year of agony, following Hamas’s appalling attack on 7 October 2023. For the hostages and their loved ones, including British citizen Emily Damari, and Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or, this has been an unbearable trauma.”
On Saturday, Bring Them Home Now, a group representing the families of the 98 hostages, called for all phases of the ceasefire deal to be carried out “swiftly”.
“This is just the first step – we won't end until the last hostage returns,” they said.
“This represents a significant and crucial advancement that brings us closer to the moment when we will see all hostages return home – the living to rehabilitate among their families, and the deceased for proper burial.
“This unconscionable tragedy must end now. We urgently call for swift arrangements to ensure all phases of the deal are implemented, and emphasise that negotiations for the next phases must begin before day 16. Now, after 470 days of our family members being held in Hamas tunnels, we are closer than ever to reuniting with our loved ones.”
The brothers of British Israeli woman Ayelet Svatitzky, originally from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, were killed and her mother, Channah Peri, 79, was taken hostage and freed a year ago.
She said families' worries will still persist “until the last hostage is home”.
“There will never be any closure for us until all the hostages are back,” she said.
Adam Ma'anit, who lives in Brighton, said his cousin Tsachi Idan was on the list of hostages set to be released in the opening phase.
“I think I'm feeling every spectrum of human emotion all at once, in the sense that I am incredibly anxious, filled with trepidation, but also optimism,” he said.
Hamas has previously said in a video that Mr Idan was dead. “There's no intelligence to say that he's dead, let's put it that way, other than Hamas claiming he is without showing us any evidence of it,” Mr Ma'anit said.
“And so since January 2024 we've been operating under the assumption, perhaps naively, perhaps stubbornly, perhaps overly optimistically, but doggedly so that he's still alive. We still hope that's the case.”
Gaza's Health Ministry said on Saturday that at least 46,899 Palestinians have been killed and 110,725 people injured since the conflict began.
