Central Arkansans react to Israel-Hamas ceasefire
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their four-day ceasefire another two days on Monday.
Hamas agreed to release another 20 women and children in exchange for Palestinian prisoners over the next two days.
Israel said it will extend the ceasefire by one day for every 10 hostages released. On Monday, the White House confirmed Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt helped broker a deal between the two sides.
In Arkansas, families reacted to the news after seeing people from their homeland released.
“I think the hostage swap is great because at the end of the day, we don’t want any civilians killed,” Ebrahim Abunasrah, who is of Palestinian descent, said.
A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas allowed families to hug loved ones again.
“Jewish people value life above everything else and so we do negotiate when it’s necessary in order to achieve the freedom of hostages,” Rabbi Barry Block said.
“Ceasefire obviously stops a lot of the violence, stops a lot of the killing, stops a lot of the children being killed,” Abunasrah said.
Abunasrah said he has had many family members who live in the Gaza Strip die in the war.
On Monday the ceasefire was extended for two more days, meaning more heartfelt moments.
Block just returned from a trip to Israel last week and said he met Lee Siegel whose brother and sister-in-law have been held hostage since Oct. 7. The sister-in-law was released Sunday but Siegel’s brother is still being held.
“Of course there is rejoicing that Aviva is released, that she’s free, but two things, number one, her husband is still a hostage,” Block said. “That’s horrific and frightening.”
The Biden Administration said the two-day extension also should allow more vital resources like fuel and water inside of Gaza.
“Just looking at the people coming home, the hostages on both sides, was very good but there is still a lot of work to go,” Abunasrah said.
Even as the number of trucks transporting goods has increased, the UN said it’s not enough to resolve a growing humanitarian crisis.
