Hostage Releases Bring Reunions, Relief—And Growing Pressure to Free More

TEL AVIV—The release of dozens of hostages by Hamas in recent days under a fragile cease-fire deal has brought a measure of relief to Israelis who have spent the last seven weeks agonizing over the fate of the more than 200 people taken from Israel.

It has brought joyful reunions for families torn apart by the Oct. 7 attacks, but the homecomings have also been mixed with anguish, as scores of Israelis remain in captivity. The releases have left many families separated, with fathers and husbands still in Gaza. With each wave of hostages released, calls to bring the rest home grow louder.