ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay’s Jewish and Palestinian communities are weighing in on the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The ceasefire agreement, along with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, is being met with hope, but also some caution among these communities.

What You Need To Know

 Jewish and Palestinian residents in Tampa Bay are reacting to the latest developments out of the Middle East

 The CEO of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee called the video of Israeli hostages being reunited with their families “overwhelming” and said he’s hopeful a ceasefire will last

 Leali Shalabi, a Palestinian-American woman, said she’s happy for the Palestinian prisoners who were released but is concerned for those who remain in custody

Read previous coverage here

Shepard Englander, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, said even though the violence of October 7, 2023 happened across the globe, the pain of it was felt locally.

Englander said there are a number of people in the area the federation serves whose relatives were taken hostage or killed.

He told Spectrum News he wore a pendant with the words “Bring them home now” on it from just after the attacks until Monday morning. Englander called the support the local Jewish community has received “unbelievable” including when it came to organizing a gathering just after the October 7 attacks.

“We called the city. They opened the municipal auditorium, they staffed it, they welcomed us. We had over 800 people,” Englander said. “At least a third of them were not members of the Jewish community. They just cared about us. They were just friends.”

Palestinian-Americans, like Leali Shalabi, have also been watching the violence in Gaza unfold.

Shalabi said she felt a flood of relief for the families of the Palestinian prisoners released Monday, but also immense sadness for those still being held. When it comes to the ceasefire deal, she said she has doubts it will hold up.

“I think this ceasefire is probably only going to end at its phase one, same way the last one did. It’s very hard to be hopeful when there’s a pattern, and we are looking at the patterns, and the pattern time and time again is that these ceasefires have been broken,” Shalabi said.

Englander said he’s optimistic the ceasefire will last. The freeing of hostages was the first step, but there are other issues, like whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza, that still have to be worked out.