When word came Wednesday that a deal had been reached that would provide a pathway for the release of the 98 hostages still held by terrorists in Gaza, I felt relieved, but I could not yet celebrate.

Of course, I will enthusiastically welcome the return of the hostages and the end of the torture they have endured over the last 15 months. But until every hostage is returned home, we cannot rest.

As CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), I have spent innumerable hours with families of hostages, across the U.S., in Israel, and around the world.

AJC has facilitated hundreds of meetings for the families on Capitol Hill, with the White House, at the United Nations and in corridors of power across the globe.

Their message has been clear: They want nothing more than to hug their loved ones again and never let them go. Too many families, sadly, want and deserve the right to bury and fully mourn their loved ones slain by Hamas terrorists.

I have had the honor of getting to know Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin. We really feel like we knew Hersh because his parents kept lovingly telling his story, most notably at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago when they received a standing ovation for several minutes as the capacity crowd in the United Center cried out: “Bring them Home!”

Hersh was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival — an event devoted to joy and peace before it was overrun by terrorists the morning of Oct. 7, 2023 — and held captive for 11 months before Hamas ruthlessly murdered him in a dank tunnel underneath Gaza. He was 23.

The first sign that Hersh had been taken captive came in April, when he was shown in a hostage video released by Hamas, with part of his left arm missing. Hersh had become one of the most recognizable faces of the hostage crisis because of his parents’ international campaign to secure his release.

We were not prepared for how his story ended. When Rachel cried out to Hersh at his funeral in Jerusalem saying, “Finally, finally, finally, finally, you’re free,” hearts broke around the world. Jon and Rachel continue to fight, to this day, for the freedom of every single hostage.

I have also been privileged to meet numerous times with Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose 21-year-old son Omer — another American and an Israel Defense Forces soldier from Long Island — went missing after his tank was caught in a firefight on Oct. 7.

The Neutras, too, became familiar figures as they fought to bring their son home — including at the Republican National Convention — wearing black T-shirts with a picture of Omer that also said “Bring Them Home Now,” with “Now” bolded in red.

In November came the devastating news from Israeli authorities that Omer had been killed on Oct. 7 — one of 1,200 people murdered that day — and that his body was taken to Gaza.

One of the easiest questions to answer is, “What’s the worst thing that can happen to someone?” As a parent, the only response is losing your child.

While none of us will ever be able to fully understand their anguish, my pain for these families is still crushing.

I recently returned from Israel, where I had the opportunity to meet with families at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv — a place where, since Oct. 7, Israelis of all backgrounds have gathered to show support and comfort each other.

Israel is a country of great diversity, particularly in terms of opinions. Yet, in Hostages Square, there has been a unity of purpose from day one. The yearning, the grief, the hope and the determination to bring all the hostages home resonates more than ever.

Our work is not done until every single hostage held in Gaza is home.

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Ted Deutch is CEO of the American Jewish Committee. He’s a former Democratic U.S. Congressman, representing Broward and Palm Beach counties.

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