New Yorkers from all backgrounds are responding to the ceasefire announced in the Middle East on Wednesday, which includes the phased release of the remaining hostages held captive since the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and an end to 15 months of war and a seemingly endless humanitarian crisis.
Emotions ranged from happiness to somber peacefulness and apprehension, but New Yorkers are cautiously celebrating the return of the hostages while remembering the thousands of Hamas attack victims from more than a year ago, and the bloody conflict in Gaza during months that followed.
Mayor Eric Adams shared his thoughts on the deal, which President Joe Biden announced in the early afternoon on Jan. 15. The agreement, made between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders through international mediators, includes the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in exchange for hostages whom Hamas is still holding in captivity.
“After 15 months of drowning in unfathomable pain, today we come up for just a little air with the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal and 33 hostages will finally come home,” the mayor told amNewYork Metro. “I continue to stand in solidarity with every mother, father, and child who has suffered as a result of this conflict.”
Without taking sides, the mayor said every step toward peace is a victory in the brutal conflict that left tens of thousands of people dead in the Middle East.
In New York, a city that was rocked by numerous high-profile violent protests and acts of hate and antisemitism that surged since the war’s onset, Adams reflected on the hostages who were killed and the civilian lives lost in the battle that ensued overseas.
“May their memory be a blessing, and may we continue to turn our pain into purpose, securing a future of peace and prosperity for both the Israeli and Palestinian people,” Hizzoner said.
House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn commended the Biden administration for facilitating the agreement.
“Our support for Israel and our allies and partners across the region have made Israel’s enemies weaker and less emboldened to continue obstructing peace and stability,” he said. “America’s commitment to the safety and security of Israel is ironclad and unbreakable. We must also continue our support for those Palestinians who legitimately desire self-determination and peace in the region.”
Jewish advocates, such as those from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), welcomed the ceasefire and called on the incoming presidential administration to ensure Hamas keeps its end of the bargain by safely releasing the hostages.
It is unclear how many of the 250 hostages taken on Oct. 7 are still alive.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, did not hold back his feelings about the brokered deal in a statement to amNewYork Metro.
“I‘m elated to see a deal that frees 33 of the innocent men, women and children held in captivity in Gaza by the barbarians from Hamas and their accomplices,” he said. “And yet all should remember — Hamas started this war with the horrific Oct.7 attacks, the most violent act of antisemitism since the Holocaust. Their apologists in the West excused and encouraged this barbarity. This war could have ended at any point, saving countless lives, if Hamas simply had released the hostages.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the Palestinian effort in Gaza came out in full force to support the ceasefire.
Nihad Awad, national director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, called the deal “long overdue,” and like representatives at the ADL, urged President-elect Trump to ensure Israel does not “sabotage” the deal.
“We welcome this long overdue ceasefire deal, which President Biden should have forced Netanyahu to accept over a year ago instead of needlessly funding so much death and destruction,” Awad said. “We commend President Trump for pushing for a ceasefire deal and reportedly warning [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that Israel, too, would face consequences for continuing to refuse to make a deal.”
Wednesday’s agreement follows months of ongoing negotiations, with the Qatari government being one of the entities at the forefront of mediation. The ceasefire is the first truce made since 2023.
One New Yorker, who preferred to remain anonymous for this story, said he is skeptical until he sees progress.
“Ceasefires have a tendency to break down quickly,” he said. “Let’s see if both sides actually honor the agreement.”
Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish global human rights organization, told amNewYork Metro that the ceasefire, which reports say will likely start on Sunday, is good news for Jewish people worldwide.
“In Israel, and I think for Jews the world over, especially so many I’ve met including the family members of living and the dead hostages, it’s in the Jewish DNA that every life is precious,” he said.
He added that it will be a “bittersweet moment” when the prisoners who were “directly involved in murder” are released, but celebratory when families welcome home the hostages after almost a year and half in captivity.
Cooper also hopes the ceasefire will serve as a “new chapter” for innocent civilians in Gaza.
“We hope the ceasefire will not enable Hamas to reconstitute its terrorist arsenal,” the rabbi added. “We hope this ceasefire will mark the end of the global antisemitic campaigns against the Jewish people.”
Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, said he heard mixed emotions from families after the ceasefire was announced.
“While there was relief at the prospect of hostages returning home, there was also deep anguish over how long it took and the uncertainty surrounding those still in captivity,” he said.
He highlighted the case of Kfir Bibas, who was 9 months old when taken and whose fate to this day remains unknown.
“As his second birthday approaches, it reminds us of the human toll of this crisis,” he said. “Each reunion is precious, but we cannot forget those still missing and the families who continue to wait in uncertainty or who have received devastating news about their loved ones.”
