Hope and fear for hostage families after Hamas response to Gaza peace plan

Families describe a "fragile situation", with negotiations between Israel and Hamas expected to resume.

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Viki Cohen, whose son Nimrod is among 20 hostages held in Gaza who are still believed to be alive, said she had woken on Saturday with a sense of "hope and expectation", but also "fear that something will go wrong".

"It is a fragile situation and we don't want to be disappointed again. And yet I feel hope that soon I will see Nimrod and I can hug [him] again."

Nimrod, now aged 21, was a 19-year-old soldier when he was kidnapped by Hamas near the Gaza border in the 7 October 2023 attacks. In total, 251 people were taken hostage that day, and some 1,200 others were killed.

On Friday, Hamas agreed to release all the remaining Israeli hostages - living and dead - but said it wanted further negotiations on a number of key points outlined in the US peace plan.