As Palestinians and Israelis in Australia on Thursday woke to a ceasefire deal, there was some relief. But trepidation and grief were the heaviest feelings.
The Palestinian family, who fled from Gaza to Sydney seven months ago, messaged relatives in the hours after a dealThe Elhelou family fled Gaza in June and now live in outer Sydney: Islam, Rose, Ruqaia, Mohammed, three-year-old Ameer and Elham.
Zack Shachar, an Israeli-Australian citizen whose cousin Naama Levy was taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023, is also unsure. The last sign of life from his relative came 10 months ago. Every Sunday he reads out the names of all hostages from a different location around Sydney, “to make sure no one forgets about it”.“The last couple of days have been full of stress, whether they were going to sign a deal or not.
“But we don’t know if he’s alive or dead. This is part of the psychological torture these organisations inflict on us. He was in a proof of life video some months ago, but we’ve got no idea,” he said. “We’re not giving up until we get them all home, we’re not going to stop advocating. So it’s not over.”
Albarqi said her mother did not intend to leave Gaza, despite everything. “This is where she lived all of her life, and this is her home,” she said.For other Palestinian families, even though an end to the conflict could be ahead, returning home is not. Rami Tarazi, who arrived in Sydney with his wife, son and parents last June, hoped Thursday’s news meant his extended family would soon be able to join them.
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