PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — There is a sense of optimism among members of the Palestinian community in New Jersey that a peace settlement will begin this weekend, despite delays to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Friday’s expected vote by Israel’s leaders to support the settlement makes everyone more hopeful an agreement is just around the corner.
The Israeli cabinet put things on hold Thursday, as reports revealed both sides were still negotiating the fine points of the deal.
“We’re confident that we’re going to be able to start implementing it Sunday,” said John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor. “We’re working with the Israelis on that very hard. We’re confident that we’re going to get there.”
Paterson, New Jersey and surrounding towns boast one of the largest populations of Palestinian people in the nation. They say the last 15 months have left Gaza bombed out and the carnage is unimaginable.
“The generational trauma born from the horrors we’ve witnesses in Gaza committed on our people is enormous and will take decades to heal,” said Palestinian American Yusra Matari.
There is still hope that the cease-fire deal will be reached Friday and begin on Sunday.
“Our hearts, minds and prayers are with people in these moments as they begin the painful and arduous process of picking up the pieces of their shattered lives,” said Basma Bsharat of the Palestinian American Community Center.
For many Jewish American families, it has been an agonizing 15 months since Hamas took Israeli hostages. Some were killed, but the family of Tenafly, New Jersey’s Eden Alexander hopes their son will come home in phase two of the agreement.
“We’ve been so close before even back in November of 2023, and so many times between then and now, but right now it feels like it’s happening and we are happy, happy for everybody and let’s see,” said Eden Alexander’s father Adi Alexander.
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