‘I want to hug my son too’: Hostages’ families say ceasefire deal must be implemented in full

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

(L-R) Ella Ben Ami, Vicky Cohen and Ayelet Samerano at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square on January 24, 2025.(Paulina Patimer)
(L-R) Ella Ben Ami, Vicky Cohen and Ayelet Samerano at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square on January 24, 2025.(Paulina Patimer)

Vicky Cohen, the mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen; Ella Ben Ami, the daughter of hostage Ohad Ben Ami and released hostage Raz Ben Ami; and Ayelet Samerano, whose son Yonatan Samerano was killed on October 7 whereupon his body was taken to Gaza by an UNRWA social worker, speak at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square about the necessity of seeing through out all stages of the ceasefire deal in order to bring all the remaining 94 hostages home.

“I also, as a mother, want to hug my son who was sent to protect the border,” says Cohen, whose son was abducted from the Nahal Oz army base on October 7 and isn’t on the list of 33 hostages expected to be released in the first stage of the deal. “Officials say that any end to the deal is a death sentence for those who are left in Gaza. We’re exhausted from this journey that began on October 7 and we need to finish it and move on to rehabilitating ourselves.”

Ella Ben Ami, whose father Ohad Ben Ami is on the list of 33 hostages set to be released throughout the first phase of the deal, says the joy that all of Israel experienced last Sunday when the three female hostages were released is something that every family needs to experience.

“Since my parents were captured and my life was ruined I haven’t yet been in therapy,” says Ben Ami. “I feel like I’ll open it all up and I won’t be able to figure it all out.” She adds that a therapist recently told her that she’ll deal with all of it once her father is released.

Ayelet Samerano speaks about the mother of Oron Shaul, who was finally able to bury her soldier son, more than a decade after he was killed.

“I don’t wish any mother this sense of uncertainty for even one day,” says Samerano. “Every minute for us feels like forever. We dream of the moments that Romi, Doron and Emily’s mothers experienced on Sunday.”

Samerano tells US President Trump and the UN that they have been doing great work. “Don’t stop,” she says. “Continue and do whatever you can to bring the last one home.”

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