TEL AVIV — In a somber ceremony that drew hundreds of people, the stopwatch that has been haunting a square in Tel Aviv since Hamas abducted 251 Israelis on October 7, 2023, was turned off on Tuesday night.
Israelis at “Hostages Square” signaled the end of a crisis after 843 days and 12 hours, beginning a new phase in the precarious ceasefire between the Israeli force and Hamas terrorists that has lasted for almost four months.
We have been praying for this day for eight hundred and forty-four days since October 7. From the podium beneath the frozen clock, Malki Shem-Tov, the father of former prisoner Omer Shem-Tov, said, “The clock kept running, counting every day, every minute, every second.” We never thought the clock would reach three digits since our worlds came to an end on October 7. We can now stop counting, thank God.
A day after Israeli soldiers found the body of Ran Gvili, a young police officer slain on October 7 and whose body was that of the last captive still in Gaza, the clock was formally retired.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that there are currently no Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip for the first time since 2014.
He and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee spoke at a ceremony in Jerusalem on Monday, saying, “An entire nation is breathing an enormous sigh of relief tonight.” “Our country’s true healing can start right now.”
It’s unclear what will happen to “Hostages Square” or the political movement that emerged amid the tent encampments of the hostages’ relatives, fed by the unrelenting scrutiny of the Israeli and international media, even after the clock has stopped counting.
The area, located beneath Israel’s defense establishment’s tall Kirya building, provided activists and the families of the hostages with a weekly platform to call on Israel’s government to free the hostages, even if it meant making concessions to Hamas. Prime-time programming from major domestic and international television networks was broadcast from pavilions on the square.
Hannah Bartel, a 27-year-old New York resident and youth programs coordinator for Young Judea, a Zionist youth movement, stated at the event, “This all started out about advocating for what people thought was right and justice for these hostages.” “I believe that Israelis need to hold onto that hope that we’ll find a way to all live together right now.”
It’s still unclear if the square will retain its name. Throughout the crisis, activists who were close to the families of the captives claimed they were unaware of the square’s name. The families have discussed renaming it “Returnees’ Square,” but the municipality is already debating the ultimate name.
Itay Waldman, a representative for the Tel Aviv municipality, stated, “We will soon form a committee to review all initiatives and ideas regarding the square.” “A decision has not yet been made.”
With Gvili’s return, the Gaza ceasefire officially enters its second phase, during which the Trump administration intends to concentrate on Hamas disarmament, postwar government, and the rehabilitation of the territory.
The parameters of the second phase of the ceasefire are still being negotiated, in contrast to the previous phase, which followed a schedule and had comparatively explicit procedures. No disarmament plans have been approved by Hamas.
Gazans are living under appalling conditions despite the ceasefire. According to Palestinian health officials in Gaza, where Hamas controls over half of the territory, Israeli attacks have killed close to 500 people since the ceasefire went into force in early October.
Most of the population lives in temporary housing, which consists of tents or partially destroyed buildings, both of which are vulnerable to foul winter weather.
Many of the hundreds of Israelis present at the gathering on Tuesday night expressed uncertainty about the success of the second phase of the truce.
“The war, I don’t think it’s over. … Hadar Minard, a 21-year-old volunteer, stated, “I don’t think it’s ever over.” “There will always be wars to fight, but at least this one is over.”
