On Sunday, a ceasefire deal went into effect between Hamas and Israel, promising the exchanges of hostages and detainees and aiming to end the 15-month long war. Students on campus have had varied reactions to the ceasefire which began yesterday.
Over the next six weeks, Hamas and Israel are expected to release 33 hostages and around 1,900 prisoners, respectively. Negotiations to extend the deal are also expected to take place during the ceasefire.
“I think the ceasefire will have great (positive) consequences on NU’s small community,” Medill freshman Ali Mohammad said. “People will finally start to look at each other and perceive each other’s differences, but not (view each other) as an enemy.”
Mohammad also said he feels hopeful that the ceasefire may act as the first small step toward peace between the two actors. However, Mohammad voiced concern over the timing of the decision, noting that the ceasefire could have been enacted much earlier.
“This is the bare minimum,” said Mohammad. “It took us over a year to stop the killing of these innocent people.”
Many student groups engaged in advocacy or initiatives related to the war have also shared their reactions.
In an email sent to The Daily, Weinberg senior and NU Hillel President Sari Eisen said she feels extremely hopeful that the deal will help end the suffering of many civilians and their families.
Hillel — one of NU’s Jewish organizations — posted on their Instagram page that they are collectively “holding their breath” while waiting for the return of the hostages and the end of the war.
Isabelle Butera of Jewish Voice for Peace — a pro-Palestinian Jewish community — said that the ceasefire is a vital moment of relief for Palestinians to rebuild, recover, grieve and receive humanitarian aid.
“We will continue steadfastly alongside our peers in the fight for Palestinian liberation by continuing to organize for an arms embargo, full University divestment and accountability for all Israeli and U.S. officials involved in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians,” JVP NU said in a statement to The Daily.
Medill junior and Wildcats for Israel President Madeleine Stern said her “heart stopped” when she saw the news about the ceasefire and hostage deal.
“I have been thinking about the hostages every single day since October 7,” Stern said. “I am going to be anxiously awaiting over the next couple of days and the next couple of weeks to hopefully see some beautiful and heartbreaking family reunions.”
Stern also noted that she has seen debate about the ceasefire on social media. Specifically, many have voiced concerns about the fact there are “going to be people who committed terror acts being released in exchange for these innocent Israeli hostages,” Stern said.
Stern said this concern was less pressing for her than the priority of bringing innocent hostages home.
“I think the number one priority for a lot of people, the majority of people, is just seeing the hostages come home,” Stern said. “It will hopefully give everyone a break from the fighting and hopefully lead to longer security and safety for everyone in the future.”
Clarification: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the terms of the ceasefire deal.
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