CLEVELAND (WJW) – The tentative peace agreement between Israel and Hamas is being applauded by many Northeast Ohioans, especially those in the Jewish and Palestinian American communities.
Moran Arad, 50, was born in Israel and her parents still live near the Gaza Strip.
From her home in the Greater Cleveland Area, she watched in amazement as terms of the proposed deal were announced to the world by President Donald Trump.
“I don’t know if happy is the word, but we’re very relieved that it’s almost over. The war is almost over, hostages are coming back, no more sounds of missiles, gunshots, airstrikes,” she told FOX 8.
When asked what it means to her family and the people of Israel, she said, “It’s makes me very emotional to think about it because throughout my life, growing up there, we always had conflict. I don’t remember peaceful times.”
Moran and her family were scheduled to fly to Israel on October 7, 2023, but then she began receiving hundreds of alerts on her phone about missiles being fired by Hamas.
They were forced to cancel their flight and then learned that their ultimate destination, her parents’ neighborhood, had been a target of the terror attack.
“I think that it was one of many, many miracles that happened and the fact that most of the people from our Kibbutz were safe, that we were not there during the attack, this is all just a miracle,” she said.
Moran would later learn that two of her longtime friends were killed in the Oct. 7 attack.
Other friends and high school classmates were taken hostage by Hamas, and some of them died while being held captive.
“What was announced yesterday is very emotional because it’s the end of two years of suffering for everybody. For everybody in the region, for us, for the Palestinians, for everyone,” she said.
Moran said she is grateful for those who hammered out the agreement that could finally bring peace to the Middle East.
“To President Trump, to Bibi Netanyahu, to everyone that was involved from the very, very beginning. To be honest, I give credit to all the Arab nations that are involved. If it wouldn’t be for them, I don’t think it would have been possible,” she said.
If the peace agreement is finalized and goes into effect, Moran and her family are hoping to make another trip to Israel to celebrate the end of the war with their loved ones who were caught in the middle of it.
Jack Shea
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