It was the time Israel needed. On Sunday afternoon, 471 days after being captured by Hamas in the darkest hour of Israel’s history, three young captives made the painful journey from prison in Gaza to freedom in their homeland.

The release of these three women – Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher – was the beginning of a multi-stakeholder agreement that offers an opportunity to end the brutal war in Gaza, and the hope of freedom for many other prisoners after more than 15 months of torture for them, their families, and their race.

But Israel’s joy and relief at liberation is tempered by sadness at what the coming weeks will reveal. Israeli officials believe half of the remaining 94 are dead. And many doubt that the fragile treaty will take long to bring them all back.

“There is a dissonance between these thoughts where this could be the last day (of life) for their spouse or child – and the possibility that the same person could be sleeping in the next room next week,” says Udi Goren. , whose family is waiting for the return of the body of his cousin Tal Haimi, who was killed on October 7 and went to Gaza.

“I don’t think words can describe the great difference between these two ideas.”

For the past 15 months, the fate of the hostages has been affected by the Israeli state’s identity. Their faces from the heyday have been plastered and rebuilt on houses and billboards from Haifa to Eilat. The details of their lives fill the daily news. Meetings demanding government action to release them have become weekly events.

But as the clock ticked down this weekend, and the prospect of some being freed, there were reminders of how things have changed. Missiles from Yemen set off the terrifying wail of gunfire sirens across the country. In Tel Aviv, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli before being shot dead by a bystander.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes continued to attack Gaza until Sunday morning, bringing the death toll in the clashes since the truce was announced last week to more than 140, according to Palestinian officials.

“There is hope, but it is not bright at the end of the tunnel,” said Daria Giladi, as she and her friend joined a rally in support of the hostages in Jerusalem on Saturday evening.

“You are happy people are coming home, you are happy that the war is over, even for a little while. But we have a long way to go. It is one third of the hostages who are supposed to return (in the first part of the six-week contract). So it’s not enough.”

Even the relatives of the 33 hostages due to be released in the first phase of the agreement – when children, women, the sick and the elderly will be released – the uncertainty is difficult.

Sharone Lifschitz’s parents, Yocheved and Oded, lifelong advocates for coexistence with the Palestinians, were both arrested on October 7. Yocheved was released 17 days later. But the family does not know about Oded’s future. When Yocheved returned, he told his family that he had died. But the hostages who were released a few weeks later in November 2023 said they saw him alive.

And so for the past 15 months, the family has been waiting, hoping that Oded will return safely, while fighting the growth of what could mean the octogenarian’s weak shot in the arm during the Hamas war to survive a long period of captivity in Hamas. .

“We all fight for him with the belief that, until we know, we want him back. If his fate and his strength caught him, and he found a way to survive any difficulties, we are waiting to see him,” says Lifschitz, his voice is clear.

(But) he saw the destruction of everything he fought for. And then he had to be in the hands of the people who caused (the destruction). And he has to survive somehow when his health is not strong and he is injured. It’s very difficult to wish that on anyone — let alone the father you love so much.”

For families whose relatives are not due to be released until the second and third phases of the deal – when the remains of the living men, and then the bodies of those who died, will be returned – the uncertainty is great.

When a seven-day truce and a prisoner exchange took place in November 2023, freeing 110 of the 250 originally captured, many in Israel hoped that this would lead to such a truce, and that the remaining prisoners would be returned. in the near future.

But what followed was 14 months of false dawn, when Israel and Hamas repeatedly failed to act, and the number of prisoners alive dwindled. Claims by right-wing ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government that they have repeatedly blocked the deal have angered relatives of the hostages. And he has left those who have relatives not to let them out until two or three steps, fearing that their time will not come.

Among them is Herut Nimrodi, whose 18-year-old son, Tamir, was taken in pajamas, barefoot and without glasses, from his military base near Erez in the hours before the Hamas attack.

Nimrodi knows the exact time – 06.49am – of their last message, when Tamir contacted him and said the rockets were landing. The family found out he was caught when one of his daughters saw a video on Instagram. But in the past months he has had no idea about his condition. In November, he celebrated his 20th birthday without knowing “if he turned 19“.

“I know that my son’s name was not on the list (to be released in the first phase), because he is a soldier, and we are afraid,” says Nimrodi. “What I fear is that we will not reach the next stage. Also that (when the first group is released) the reception area (for their release) will be very small, because there will be few captives, and only men. “

The recognition is also common that, even for those who return, returning will be the first step. Lifschitz says her mother is going through it “better than most of us” coming back from prison.

But for those who have spent more than 15 months in captivity, this can be very difficult. Formerly released slaves have reported being kept in cages, or in total darkness, being drugged and beaten, and in some cases being tortured or witnessing abuse.

Hagai Levine, a doctor who works with a support group for families of hostages, said in a press release last week that he expects “all aspects of (the hostages’) physical and mental health will be affected”. “Time is of the essence – recovery will be a long and difficult process,” he said.

But with all the challenges ahead, families are eager for the project to begin. “Everyone in Israel – and families – need closure. We are a wounded people right now. We are in trouble. We have not even started after the tragedy,” says Nimrodi.

Lifschitz agrees. “We know that many of the hostages are not alive and we will have several funerals and shivas (times of mourning) to continue,” he says. “But at least, there will be some kind of closure. We’ll know. As long as we know.”