Tel Aviv, Israel —
Ofir Braslavski is smiling for the first time in two years.
It’s a stark change of face for the father of 21-year-old hostage Rom Braslavski, who hit an emotional low in August after seeing his weeping, emaciated son in footage released by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant group from inside Gaza.
“We focus on the kiss, the hugs, his smell,” Braslavski told CNN Saturday as he looked onto a Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostages Square – the hub of hostage demonstrations for over 700 days.
“Many thoughts are running through my head,” he said, emphasizing that he was looking forward to nothing else but the reunion.
Like the hundreds of people in front of him, Braslavski can’t wait for the weekend to end: Forty-eight hostages – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – are set to be released by Monday at noon under the first phase of a ceasefire plan agreed by Hamas and Israel.
“Every second feels like it’s lasting forever, we’re just
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