Israeli and Palestinian Americans were overwhelmed with emotion at the announcement of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In Newton Sunday, members of Run For Their Lives Boston read the names of the hostages for the last time, hoping this will be the final meeting with Israelis in captivity.
“It’s a mix of emotions, but ultimately I think we’re all feeling optimistic and excited,” said Emily Brophy, an organizer for Run For Their Lives Boston.
The group hosts global running or walking events calling for the immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas. The Boston chapter has been meeting in Newton center for the last two years, praying for the release of hostages.
A survivor of the Nova Music Festival attack on October 7, 2023 attended Sunday, becoming emotional while describing her efforts to flee on foot.
“So now i’m just standing in the middle of this huge, empty, agricultural field surrounded by terrorists, and the only the thing I could see were people being murdered beside me. I was so scared,” she said.
Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian advocates said they are hopeful that the fragile ceasefire deal will last.
Karameh Kuemmerle is a doctor at Boston Children’s Hospital and co-founder of Doctor’s Against Genocide, a coalition shedding light on international human rights violations. She said she is worried the deal may not hold up.
“Needs a lot of international goodwill, a lot of cooperation, and a lot of careful thinking about how to prevent genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity from happening again,” said Kuemmerle.
Kuemmerle is a Palestinian-American from the West Bank. Her family still lives in the region, and she said they have not seen a change since the ceasefire.
“Every single day there are Israeli tanks,” Kuemmerle explained. “Checkpoints are closed so people are enclosed in their cities or villages, so people are unable to move from one place to another.”
Despite this, her colleagues in Gaza said bombings have stopped and aid is being let into the region.
“A massive feeling of relief that they are able to sleep at night knowing there is a ceasefire, the children are happy, they’re excited,” said Kuemmerle.
The United Nations said Israel has approved aid shipments totaling more than 200,000 tons.
