OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — More than seven weeks after hostages were captured by Hamas during an Oct. 7 attack on Israel, a group of hostages were released from Gaza.
“This is the number one topic of conversation across Thanksgiving tables for most Jewish families,” said Gavriella Geller, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau.
Geller said the news has provided a sense of relief for her and others she knows.
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“It’s incredibly relieving. The extent that this has weighed so heavily on all our hearts really cannot be understated; it's something that’s been absolutely ripping us apart for the last seven weeks," she said.
KSHB 41's Megan Abundis met Geller at The Jewish Community Center in Overland Park as ground assault abroad has paused for at least four days.
"Every single day, all day, people have been waiting for news on their family," she said. "We don’t know what conditions they are held in; we don’t know what they’ve been subjected to."
Geller knows of the unrelenting campaigning for hostages. Posters of the kidnapped Israel citizens have covered the Jewish Community Center.
It's a moment in the conflict that involved the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
“I’m really grateful for President Biden and his administration for being a part of the negotiation and having Israel’s back," she said. "On the other hand, it’s not enough; we must continue to work so that every single hostage comes home."
Their release came as a part of a deal that included a prisoner swap for Palestinians held in Israel detention.
“I think seeing people home and into the hands of their relatives is such a blessing," said Samantha von Ende, who lives in Kansas City and has worked in places of conflict. "Something to be thankful for. I think everybody's got a little edge on their seat."
von Ende’s Brother is serving in the Israel Defense Forces.
"The conversation with family is a lot of gratitude. Gratitude that Thai workers are released, Israelis are released — hopefully, Americans can be released too,” von Ende said.
She wants to see a push out of the pause.
“The two-state solution is essentially for both parties to self-govern, to ensure that their cultures are protected," she said. "It is not true that to be Zionist or to be supportive of Israel means you are anti-Palestinian."
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