With the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal expected to begin Sunday, the families of hostages are hoping to once again see their loved ones in front of them.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal that could see the first release of American hostages within days, as part of a broader agreement to free 33 captives during a 42-day pause in fighting.
The deal, which awaits approval from Israel’s security Cabinet in a Thursday vote, would include the release of two Americans — Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen — in its first phase, according to a senior administration official.
Of the seven Americans believed held by Hamas, only three are presumed alive. The third, 21-year-old American-Israeli Edan Alexander, a former IDF soldier, would be part of a second phase of releases.
In exchange, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, following a pattern seen in previous hostage negotiations.
Phase three calls for the return of the bodies of remaining hostages and the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which is largely devastated and faces decades of rebuilding.
After 466 days in captivity, it remains unclear how many of the approximately 100 hostages still held by Hamas are alive. Officials estimate more than a third of all hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack have died.
For families of the hostages, the wait continues. While some may soon reunite with their loved ones, others face the grim possibility of receiving confirmation of deaths during captivity.
Hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen to be released in ceasefire first phase
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Jonathan Dekel-Chen joins NewsNation to discuss the upcoming ceasefire in Gaza, aimed at clearing the way for dozens of hostages to be released. His 36-year-old son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, an American citizen, was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 and is believed to still be alive. Dekel-Chen, along with other families of hostages, has been actively advocating for their loved ones’ safe return. -
Edan Alexander, left, is pictured with his father Adi. Hamas kidnapped Alexander during the ongoing war in Gaza and remains in captivity. -
Released hostage Ilana Gritzewsky poses for a portrait in her apartment in Kiryat Gat, Israel, on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, near photos of her boyfriend, Matan Zangauker, who is being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) -
This undated photo provided by the Hostages Families Forum Headquarters shows Omer Neutra. (Hostages Families Forum Headquarters via AP) -
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TOPSHOT – Ronen (L) and Orna Neutra, parents of Omer Neutra, pose for a photo in New York City on November 6, 2023. The parents of Omer Neutra, a dual nationality US-Israeli soldier who is one of some 240 hostages seized by Hamas in its attack from Gaza, are counting on President Biden to get him back. They have had no word about him whatsoever in the month since their nightmare, and that of the other hostage families, began on October 7. Biden, who has pledged solid support for Israel in its war against Hamas, showed compassion as he spoke to the families for more than an hour and said he is determined to secure the release of the hostages, Ronen Neutra said. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) -
FILE – Ruby Chen holds a poster of his son, Itay Chen, during a protest near Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, on March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File) -
Judith Raanan, an American who was one of the first hostages released by Hamas, on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” -
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 7: Families and supporters of hostages kidnapped during Oct 7 deadly Hamas attack hold up photos of hostages as the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas marks one year on October 7, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Various commemorations are taking place around Israel to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. On October 7, 2023, members of Hamas mounted a series of attacks and raids on Israeli citizens in the Gaza Envelope border area of Israel. 251 Israelis and foreigners were kidnapped with nearly 100 still unaccounted for and 1139 people were killed. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images) -
This combination of six undated photos shows hostages, from top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi, from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat, who were held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza. On Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, the Hostages Families Forum announced their deaths while in Hamas captivity. (The Hostages Families Forum via AP)
Jonathan Dekel-Chen revealed his son Sagui, held captive since Oct. 7, may not even know he has a new daughter, born two months after his capture.
“I simply do not know if Sagui even knows that his family survived the massacre,” Dekel-Chen said Wednesday on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” His 36-year-old son is among those expected to be freed in the first phase of releases.
“I will feel joy when Sagui is able to embrace his little girls,” Dekel-Chen said.
The last confirmed proof of life for Sagui came over a year ago, when released hostages reported briefly encountering him wounded but alive in Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza.
“When he does emerge from that ambulance, we will embrace him in all meanings of the word and help him in all ways necessary to rebuild his life,” Dekel-Chen said while tempering his optimism about his son’s condition after 466 days in captivity.
While grateful for his son’s expected release, Dekel-Chen said that many hostages remain in what he called “hell holes” under Gaza, including 29 from his own Kibbutz Nir Oz. Some of those captives, he learned, were subsequently killed by Hamas.
“We cannot leave a single hostage behind,” he said.
Omer Neutra’s parents hope for a ‘proper burial’
The parents of a deceased American hostage called the ceasefire “a deal with the devil” while supporting the necessary compromise to bring home the remaining captives.
“This is not a good deal,” said Ronen Neutra, whose 21-year-old son Omer was confirmed dead after 422 days in captivity. “But on October 7, 2023, they took 250 people out of their beds… and unfortunately, we have to do a deal with the devil.”
Omer Neutra, a first responder who rushed to defend Israeli villages during the October attacks, was among the 98 hostages still in Gaza. His parents learned of his death last month after advocating for his release at the Republican National Convention and in meetings with President Biden.
His mother, Orna Neutra, described “mixed emotions” about the agreement. While supporting the deal, the Neutras now fight for a different outcome — the return of their son’s body for “proper burial.”
The parents praised the bipartisan cooperation between the outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Trump’s team in securing the agreement.
“There’s no daylight between the two teams,” Orna Neutra said, noting both administrations helped push the deal forward.
