Jewish leaders, scholars respond to hostage release amid Gaza ceasefire deal
Hoosier Jewish leaders and scholars recently celebrated the release of the remaining Jewish hostages from Gaza but expressed caution about the next steps in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Chabad Northwest Indiana Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov described himself as “cautiously optimistic” about the ceasefire deal. While the agreement resulted in the release of the hostages, he emphasized that the future of the region remains uncertain.
“Extremely grateful, extremely happy to see everyone home,” Zalmanov said. “When the hostages were finally brought home, that was a feeling of euphoria. The emotional tug of war is we’re very concerned about what happens in the future, like what’s next.”
On Monday, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Then, on Wednesday, Israel received the remains of two more hostages shortly after its military announced that one of eight bodies previously handed over was not that of a hostage. Israel is still waiting for the bodies of 28 hostages to be returned.
The attacks that ignited the conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, targeting army bases, farming communities, and an outdoor music festival. Around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and 251 were abducted.
Most of the hostages had been released in earlier ceasefires or other deals dating back to late 2023, according to the Associated Press. The ceasefire plan originally introduced by President Donald Trump called for all hostages, living and dead, to be handed over by a deadline that expired on Monday.
However, under the terms of the deal, if that deadline passed without full compliance, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and endeavor to hand over their remains as soon as possible.
On Friday, Hamas moved to shore up its fragile ceasefire agreement by reaffirming its commitment to the terms, including a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. This statement came shortly after a stern warning from President Trump, who said he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas failed to fulfill its part of the deal.
Hamas maintains that some bodies were buried in tunnels later destroyed by Israeli forces, making recovery difficult without heavy machinery to clear the rubble. The group also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for calling to cut aid to Gaza, accusing him of manipulating humanitarian needs “for political gains.”
In a follow-up statement, Hamas urged mediators to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and begin reconstruction efforts—particularly for homes, hospitals, and schools. Hamas also called for the immediate establishment of an independent committee to govern the Gaza Strip and demanded that Israeli troops continue withdrawing from agreed-upon areas.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that Israel “will not compromise” and insisted Hamas fulfill the ceasefire requirements, especially regarding the return of hostages’ bodies.
Pierre Atlas, faculty affiliate with the Center for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University Bloomington, described the agreement to return Israeli hostages and provide aid to Gaza as “a big deal,” but warned that ceasefires are inherently fragile.
“It’s certainly a move in the right direction, but there is a long way to go,” Atlas said. “Ceasefires are always fragile, and ceasefires are very easy to break down because all you need is a few extremists to do something and it can happen.”
Elisabeth Colon, president of Temple Israel in Valparaiso, highlighted challenges in the process that undermine trust in the ceasefire.
“There were 28 hostages in captivity; Hamas released the living hostages, but they haven’t released the remains of the others. We’re still praying that they’ll release them so they can be put to rest at home,” Colon said. “It’s exhausting: ‘They’re going to be released!’ then no, there aren’t.”
Despite the difficulties, community support continues to be a source of strength—even two years later.
“The people who came to pray at our Temple Israel door still come two years later. It’s really uplifting,” she said. “There’s also the resilience of Israel; you go on with your life even when you’re in it. A lot of us have family and friends over there, and they find ways to reach out to help.”
The history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back over a century. Pierre Atlas explained that it began during the British Mandate for Palestine, which lasted from 1922 to 1947. At that time, both Jewish and Arab communities sought to establish their own states, creating intense challenges over territorial boundaries.
In 1947, Britain withdrew and referred the matter to the United Nations, which proposed a two-state solution. While the Jewish side accepted the proposal, the Arab side rejected it, leading to the war of 1948.
This conflict resulted in Jordan capturing the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Egypt occupying the Gaza Strip until 1967. The Six-Day War in 1967 saw Israel capturing Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, launching its occupation of Palestinian territories.
Hamas was formed in 1987 as an Islamist, jihadist Palestinian resistance movement opposing the secular Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza but maintained control over the West Bank.
Following the Palestinian elections in 2006, Hamas won in Gaza, while Fatah, the main faction of the PLO, won in the West Bank. Palestinians in Gaza voted for Hamas partly due to its portrayal as Islamic and less corrupt compared to the PLO, and also as a protest vote.
Conflict between Hamas and Fatah ensued, with Hamas gaining control over Gaza by 2007. Since then, Hamas has launched rockets into Israel, built extensive tunnels beneath Gaza, and clashed repeatedly with Israeli forces.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack marked the breaking of a two-year ceasefire, catching Israel by surprise—a failure noted by Atlas as “a complete catastrophic failure from an Israeli intelligence perspective.”
Israel’s response to Hamas’ aggression has involved increasingly harsh retaliation, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, severe restrictions on aid, and widespread destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure.
Rabbi Zalmanov emphasized that Palestinians also suffered tremendously during the conflict.
“It’s heartbreaking to see innocent people suffer at no fault of their own,” he said.
Looking ahead, Atlas highlighted the core challenge: neither Hamas nor Netanyahu currently supports a two-state solution.
“Major questions remain on Hamas’ rule over Gaza and how to rebuild the area,” Atlas said. “At any point, this process could easily break down, and that’s a real problem.”
He added that the raw emotions on both sides make it difficult for ordinary Israelis and Palestinians to seriously consider coexistence or a two-state framework in 2025.
“Wars generally end in a military victory or a negotiated settlement,” Atlas explained. “Given the history of Israel and Palestine, a negotiated settlement like a two-state solution is the strongest solution. Many scholars and people on both sides understand there is no military solution to the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There has to be some type of negotiated settlement, and a negotiated settlement means two separate states.”
Rabbi Zalmanov echoed those hopes for peace.
“Everyone in the region wants peace, not war, but that peace has to come in the right form and under the right circumstances,” he said. “We hope for a time when all nations can lay down their weapons, all nations can live side by side in harmony, all people should be able to live side by side peacefully.”
*The Associated Press contributed to this report.*
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/19/jewish-leaders-scholars-respond-to-hostage-release-amid-gaza-ceasefire-deal/
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