One of the terrorists expected to be released under the deal signed between the Israeli government and Hamas murdered mother and son Ita and Ephraim Tzur in the Binyamin region 29 years ago.
Yoel Tzur, the bereaved husband and father and one of the owners of Israel National News - Arutz Sheva spoke about his feelings upon learning of the planned release.
"We are all happy, both for the joy of the Sukkot holiday and for the fact that all our hostages are being released," says Tzur, adding that beyond this, his feelings are mixed regarding the release of the murderous terrorists, including the murderers of Ita and Ephraim. "We trust the negotiating team and the prime minister to do the right thing."
Tzur emphasizes that on a personal level, he does not believe the agreement will last long and, in his opinion, Israel will have to return to war in the Gaza Strip in the near future. "We will be able to act more decisively and without the remorse that comes from knowing people are still held in basements and tunnels there. We will be able to do a much better job," he says.
He also discusses the difficulty many of his family members face in accepting the news of the release and the pain it brings, even if it is not felt every day. "We live with it," he says. "This is life, and we deal with it. We thank God Almighty for all the kindness He bestows upon us. Back then, we were a family where almost no one was married, and today everyone is married and we have many grandchildren. So we thank God Almighty for all the goodness He has bestowed on us, and we also know how to cope with difficult times. We will overcome and give thanks to God Almighty, as well as to the negotiating team, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, and all the members of the government."
In this context, Tzur adds that the opposition of Ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich is not to the release of the hostages-they, too, are happy with the release-but rather stems from the flaws they see in the agreement.
Tzur recalls that the head of the cell that carried out the murder was eliminated, and that his two accomplices were captured 13 years later and sentenced to life imprisonment. One of them is expected to be released. "I hope that this release will also bring an end to his life. I trust the IDF and the security forces to do what needs to be done," he says.
According to Yoel Tzur, the entire deal is a product of the same searing and painful failures that led to the tragedy of October 7th. It pains him to think that he may walk down the street and see people going about their lives, unaware that a danger still exists: "It could be that in two minutes someone will get on a bus that explodes, and they will no longer be with us. This saddens me, but I hope our excellent security forces will do their job, monitor the situation, and supervise carefully. The people of Israel will recover and rise from the tragedy of the October massacre, and the divisions among us will begin to heal."
When asked how he would vote if he were a member of the cabinet, Tzur responds that he is grateful he is not responsible to make such decisions and is spared the obligation to answer. "Now," he says, "my hope is that the release of the hostages will unite the people and bring great joy as the holiday of Simchat Torah begins."