ANDREW LIMBONG, HOST:
OK. As Jane pointed out there, this is a delicate time in the peace agreement, especially if you are waiting for your loved one to come home. Moshe Lavi's brother-in-law, Omri Miran, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Under the terms of the deal, he's expected to be released early tomorrow - first to the Red Cross, then to his family. Moshe Lavi joins us now. Thank you so much for joining us.
MOSHE LAVI: Thank you.
LIMBONG: What was your reaction to hearing the news that a ceasefire deal was made?
LAVI: I was in Washington, D.C., last week when the announcement was made. I was there with my sister, Omri's wife, Lishay. We were advocating last week with the Trump administration, held a vigil for the October 7 attack with members of the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And then the day after, the announcement came. It was a moment of joy for many of us who were there and, of course, those families who were in Israel.
LIMBONG: You spoke to my colleague back in September 2024. This was after the bodies of six hostages were recovered from a tunnel in Gaza. I want to play you a bit of what you said. Here's the tape.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
LAVI: We'll keep holding the international community accountable. We'll keep going to the media and share our story. We have to for them, for the hostages who can still be rescued. And I hope this will be - this will change - this terrible news that we receive will change the equation.
LIMBONG: It's been over a year since you said that, and it appears as if things have substantially changed. The remaining hostages are coming home. I guess my question is, did you think this moment would come?
LAVI: I was always hopeful. We can't operate and advocate without hope leading us. Otherwise, we'll focus on the despair. And so I was always hopeful that something will happen, that Omri will return. But at the same time, I was realistic that this is a very complex process - negotiating with a terrorist organization and, of course, having other priorities within a larger conflict that at times override the priority we have, which is the redemption of our captives, returning them home. And I'm happy we reached that point, although I've yet to see it. I still can't believe it's going to happen because it seems so far-fetch - if you've asked me two weeks ago that it will happen so quickly. But then again, it is supposed to happen tomorrow morning, and we're excited for it but trying to be as cautious as possible because we were disappointed so many times before.
LIMBONG: Is it one of those things you're not going to believe it until he's, like, in your arms?
LAVI: Exactly.
LIMBONG: Yeah.
LAVI: Until Omri hugs Lishay, until he embraces their two daughters, Roni and Alma, 4 years old and 2 1/2 years old.
LIMBONG: Yeah. I was wondering about his kids. What have you been telling them? How are they doing, first off?
LAVI: You know, it has been very difficult for them. They survived October 7. And they were held captive themselves, alongside my sister Lishay, at gunpoint by Hamas terrorists who barged into their home. They've been managing to grow up and become extraordinary two girls. I'm very proud of them, and especially Roni who was 4 years old, and so she remembers a lot of what happened that day. The trauma carries with her.
LIMBONG: I want to ask you about the bigger picture here. Do you believe, given the developments over the past few days, that there can be sustained peace?
LAVI: I think in the long term, yes. I also believe that through terrible crises, conflicts, more lasting peace can be achieved, just like we saw in other cases, in Europe, especially - a continent that needed two devastating wars so that countries could coexist together, recognize each other after centuries of fighting. I hope that will be eventually the case with our - with the Palestinians, with the wider - in the wider region. I don't believe it's going to be in my lifetime, sadly. I think we have not matured enough as a region to coexist peacefully long term.
But I'm sure eventually this conflict will be resolved. I wish those involved in the conflict realize that it's better to resolve it now and avoid unnecessary bloodshed - making compromises, recognize each other's rights and aspirations. But President Trump did lay out a foundation for a wider regional arrangement that is better than the one that existed before October 7, in my opinion, and the possibility of reducing friction within the wider region, incorporating other countries in the Abraham Accords and hopefully seeing Gaza rising from the rubble to become a more sustainable place for the Palestinians.
LIMBONG: That was Moshe Lavi, brother-in-law of Israeli hostage in Gaza, Omri Miran. Moshe Lavi, thank you so much for your time.
LAVI: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF JOHN WILLIAMS' "AVNER'S THEME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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