(NewsNation) — The ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of the first three hostages is bittersweet for one mother who lost her 23-year-old American son, Hersh Goldberg, to the war.
The ceasefire deal in Gaza is in effect as of Sunday morning, after almost falling apart in the final hours with Hamas holding out on releasing the list of hostage names. Ultimately, Hamas announced the names of three living female hostages who were successfully freed to Israeli officials Sunday afternoon local time.
The deal was too late for Rachel Goldberg-Polin and her family, but she remains hopeful for the other grieving families.
“I woke up this morning, and I felt tremendous relief,” Goldberg-Polin said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America with Hena Doba” on Sunday. “I am a mother who is going to be processing the loss of her only son for the rest of my life, but I am so relieved for these families.”
She described her son, who was executed by Hamas five months ago, as a “happy-go-lucky, positive, wide-eyed lover of listening, small ego, curious, beautiful young man.”
She compared him to a flower “that’s about to open up,” as she hopes his memory will “serve as a blessing and as motivation to do and be better.”
First hostages released
Three women — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari — were handed over to the Red Cross on the first day of the ceasefire. They are now in Israel and will soon be medically evaluated.
The three-phase ceasefire began with this prisoner exchange, with Israel releasing 1,700 Palestinian prisoners in return in the first phase. Thirty-three hostages held captive by Hamas are expected to be released in the first six weeks as well.
No Americans were released on the first day of the ceasefire, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told NewsNation, but they are expected to be freed within the first six weeks.
Phase two will include the return of the remaining living Israel hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza. The third phase is expected to address the handing over of the remaining bodies of dead hostages and the start of Gaza’s reconstruction, according to President Joe Biden.
The youngest hostage was kidnapped when he was nine months old, celebrating his second birthday the day before the ceasefire’s start. And 64 people will remain in captivity.
“We cannot be celebrating until every single one is home, and until this deal is complete,” Goldberg-Polin said.
The war began 471 days ago on Oct. 7, 2023. In that time, people of different backgrounds faced a life-changing event.
“Now the remaining hostages comprise 23 different nationalities. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. And I started to wear the number because so many people would ask me during interviews, just on the street randomly, how many days has it been and I decided very early on that this is going to be my identity until every single one of these hostages comes home.”
More than 46,000 Palestinians have died in the war, according to officials.
In a post to X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on the hostage release.
“Romi, Doron and Emily – an entire nation embraces you, with congratulations on your homecoming. This moment was achieved thanks to the sacrifice and fighting of our heroic fighters – the heroes of Israel. I promise: We will bring everyone home!” Netanyahu wrote, translated from Hebrew.
Is the ceasefire deal enough?
It’s been five months since Goldberg-Polin lost her son. Is the deal enough?
“Well, if this deal gets every single person home, it is enough,” she said. “If this deal even saves one life according to Jewish tradition and actually to Islamic tradition, one life is one universe. So, if we can save one universe, three universes, 33 universes, that’s wonderful, but we have an obligation, a moral, ethical obligation to save 98 universes.”
Goldberg-Polin said she wants to see Trump stand by his promises.
“This deal could have happened back in the summer, and Hersh and three of the people who he was executed with would have been released. But I don’t think anymore that it’s healthy nor helpful to dwell on that,” Goldberg-Polin said. “That was not the destiny for our six families of the beautiful six who were tortured, starved and murdered in that lightless, airless tunnel that wasn’t meant to be.”
She is looking ahead and not behind.
“I truly believe there is light ahead, and we all need to be looking toward the light.”
