Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of slain hostage Hersh, welcomed the deal as "a step that should have been taken long ago".
“We welcome today’s announcement of a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar," the two stated on Thursday.
"This is an opportunity to bring home 98 cherished hostages who have been held in captivity for far too long, the living to begin a challenging physical and mental rehabilitation process and the deceased for respectful and proper burial. All of Israel needs to begin a national healing process that can only truly start when all the hostages have been brought home."
They clarified that the deal was not all that was needed. "We view this agreement as only the beginning of the end, not the end itself. It is imperative that this process is completed and all 98 hostages are returned to their families."
Along with Israeli, the couple also called for rehabilitation of Gaza: "It is also time for the innocent civilians of Gaza to be relieved of the suffering they have endured since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7th, 2023. They also need to begin the recovery process."
"Our beloved son Hersh and so many other innocent civilians should have been saved long ago by a deal like this one, especially since the framework for today’s deal has been in place since May 2024. We will struggle with that failure for the rest of our lives. But today we celebrate the impending reunifications of the 98 remaining hostages with their loved ones with whom we have been tirelessly advocating and so many of whom have become like family to us during this 467 day struggle.”