Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza have told the BBC they are hopeful that US President Donald Trump’s plan for ending the war will bring their loved ones home.Vicky Cohen, whose son Nimrod is among 20 hostages held in Gaza who are still believed to be alive, said she had woken on Saturday with a sense of “hope and expectation”, but also “fear that something will go wrong”.”It is a fragile situation and we don’t want to be disappointed again. And yet I feel hope that soon I will see Nimrod and I can hug [him] again.”Nimrod, now aged 21, was a 19-year-old soldier when he was kidnapped by Hamas near the Gaza border in the 7 October 2023 attacks. In total, 251 people were taken hostage that day, and some 1,200 others were killed.On Friday, Hamas agreed to release all the remaining Israeli hostages – living and dead – but said it wanted further negotiations on a number of key points outlined in the US peace plan.After Hamas submitted its response, Trump posted on Truth Social “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE”, as he called on Israel to “immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”In a response overnight, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “preparing to immediately implement the first phase of Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all hostages”.Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are now expected to resume in Egypt in the coming …
