It’s official, 33 of the hostages will at last be coming home soon, some even this weekend. The deal was reached after Israelis paid a dear and heavy price in blood over the past 15 months with over 2000 murdered and fallen in action. The hostage deal takes place just one day after the funeral of a Messianic Jewish soldier here in Israel.
Redeeming captives is a subject well known and written about in Jewish literature. Starting from the exodus from Egypt, through the first and second diasporas, and unfortunately throughout church history. Jewish communities always redeemed their captives. This hostage deal is therefore but a chain in the history of Israel.
As followers of Messiah, the release of captives is very dear to the heart of us all, and part of the message that Jesus Himself came to bring.
The ceasefire has been agreed for 42 days during which just a third of the remaining hostages, some of whom will be alive and others already dead, will be returned at last to their families. The first three will come home on Sunday.
The hostages on the list to be set free are women, children, adults over the age of 50, and severely sick and wounded civilians. Starting with the women and children, around 3-4 additional hostages will be released every week over a course of six weeks.
The famous red-headed Bibas children taken captive from Nir Oz are on the list to be released, and their mother, Shiri. We have no idea which of the hostages are still alive and who is dead. Families are getting ready either to embrace their loved ones, or bury them.
In exchange, up to 1,650 Palestinian prisoners will be released, 30 for each civilian and 50 for each female soldier. These are not political or even criminal prisoners – they include arch-terrorists with a lot of blood on their hands, convicted and some sentenced with life imprisonment, and Gazan terrorists arrested in connection to the atrocities of October 7. There are no civilians, and no innocent people among them.
Here in Israel emotions are very high. We are overjoyed at the thought of hostages finally coming home to their families, but we are paying a very heavy price. Some Israeli families whose relatives were brutally murdered by the terrorists about to be released in the hostage deal are trying to apply pressure not to release them, and thus not sign the deal. The situation poses yet another moral dilemma.
Some of the prisoners will be deported to Qatar and Turkey, but there is great concern about so many dangerous terrorists who are determined to destroy Israel walking free. One of the conditions of the agreement is that Israel will not be allowed to rearrest them.
During this first six week phase, Israel and Hamas will discuss the details regarding a second phase, with the goal being a final end to the war in Gaza.
Please pray with us all at this time: Pray for our leaders here in Israel, and the other nations in the mediation process, who have to navigate these waters. Our God is a God of peace, life, and of freedom. Join us in prayer for His will to be done.
