We emphatically welcome the diplomatic breakthrough achieved between Israel and Hamas.

It is with great relief that Jews across the world see light finally breaking through the dark cloud of uncertainty that has hung over us for the past two years as this painful war has dragged on.

We are clear-eyed that this is just the beginning of the healing process and the true end of this conflict. Durable peace and security demand more than this first step; they require courage and structural change.

Still, one truth remains: the ceaseless fight of the Jewish people to bring our captives home endures — and today, it has borne fruit.

Today we honor the courage and suffering of both the living and the deceased who are finally returning home. We also stand with the bereaved families of the soldiers who fell defending Israel, and we grieve every innocent life lost. In Jewish tradition, the loss of one life is the loss of a world.

Justice and accountability must guide what comes next. Those who planned and carried out these horrific acts of terror must face consequences, even as we begin to rebuild what they tried to destroy.

As this agreement takes effect, we pray that all parties uphold their commitments. True peace means a safe and secure Israel in a region that upholds the dignity of every human life.

As we say in remembrance of the victims of the Nova Festival, “Soon we will dance again.”

— The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati's Jewish Community Relations Council