The truce in the Gaza Strip began at 7 am on Friday, November 24, in Israel. But, just a few hours before the release of the first group of 13 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, not all Israelis are in favor of the agreement reached with the Islamist organization, including some relatives of hostages. While all agree on the objective, namely the return of the 236 people presumed to be still alive, the method is disputed.

Three organizations lodged appeals with Israel's Supreme Court to oppose the agreement struck thanks to the intermediation of Qatar, the United States and Egypt. All three filings were rejected on Wednesday and Thursday. They challenged the compromise, which involves the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners, a supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a four-day pause in the fighting, in exchange for 50 Israelis kidnapped on October 7, mostly children and mothers. For each additional dozen hostages, a further day's truce could be observed.

One of these organizations, We Choose Life, brings together families affected by terrorism. It is not new, and is active anytime Israel considers releasing Palestinian prisoners. Within it, two fathers of hostages have formed a group, Tikva ("hope" in Hebrew), which is supposed to bring together several relatives of hostages. Today, the group has only two identified spokesmen: Zvika Mor and Eliyahu Libman, each the father of a young man kidnapped in Gaza. Eitan Mor and Elyakim Libman, both 23, were kidnapped while providing security for the Tribe of Nova festival in the Negev desert, where 260 people were murdered on October 7.

The two fathers question the very existence of a compromise and its nature, pointing out that only certain hostages are eligible. Their fear is that hostages whose names do not appear on the initial list will be "abandoned to their fate" and exposed to an increased risk of mistreatment or death. "We must feel responsible for all hostages," said Libman, who heads the municipal council of Kiryat Arba, a West Bank settlement on the outskirts of Hebron, where Mor also lives.

Above all, the founders of Tikva consider that the agreement poses a serious threat to their country. The liberation of Gilad Shalit in 2011 had serious consequences, they say: In order to obtain the return of this soldier kidnapped by Hamas in 2006, Israel agreed to send 1,027 Palestinian prisoners back to Gaza. Among them was Yahya Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in Gaza, a mastermind of the October 7 attacks.

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