The families of hostages held in Gaza have faced a 20-month-long nightmare. As they try to advocate for their loved ones’ fates, they have been confronted with the whims of Israeli and Hamas leaders and the other crises that have engulfed the Middle East.

After twelve days of intense strikes between Israel and Iran – punctuated by the United States’ bombing of Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend and Tehran’s performative retaliation – a US-brokered ceasefire appeared to be holding on Tuesday.

In the wake of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, President Trump expresses optimism for a resolution to the Gaza conflict, now escalating for over 21 months. Amid calls for a ceasefire, the situation remains dire,