Metro Atlanta activists hopeful as Israel-Hamas cease-fire begins

ATLANTA - A four-day cease-fire between Israeli forces and Hamas began Friday, leading to a brief pause with the hopes of winding down the war and ending the violence in the area. 

Hamas says it will release 50 of its more than 200 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of around 150 Palestinian prisoners.  

It’s just the kind of move many pro-Palestinian marchers in Atlanta have been calling for, like Kareem Rosshandler. He teaches Islamic studies, world history, and other subjects at a private Islamic K-12 school in Atlanta.

 Rosshandler recently gave an assembly to the whole school about the context surrounding this current Israel-Hamas conflict. 

"Having a master's in Middle East History, I went through the previous century up until this point, and how we got to where we are. And the students asked some great questions," Rosshandler said. 

He was very happy to learn of the agreed-upon cease-fire that he and others marching in the streets have been calling for.   

 "I think it's a very positive development, and it's a good step in the right direction," he said.  

Children walk amid the rubble of a school hit during an Israeli strike before the start of a four-day truce in the battles between Israel and Hamas militants, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on November 24, 2023. A four-day truce in the Israel-Ha

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The deal offered some relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment and dwindling supplies of necessities, as well as for families in Israel fearful for the fate of loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war.

"I think it's a huge deal … we haven't had this many hostages held by a foreign anything since 1979," CEO and Founder of Project Dynamo Bryan Stern said.  His group works to evacuate American citizens out of war zones.  

"We were in Israel the day after the massacre and are conducting operations inside Gaza as we speak," Stern said.  

He says if the cease-fire goes well and leads to even more hostages being released, that could force Israel to end its campaign in Gaza sooner rather than later.  

"I think once the hostage situation is over, either because everyone's dead or everyone's released and the conditions thereof, I think they'll have a real struggle from a moral high ground perspective to keep up the maximum pressure campaign that they're doing. The war that you see on TV, I think they'll have a very hard time explaining that in the court of public opinion," Stern said.  

"It comes as a very welcome relief …. but I hope we don't get too distracted by these short-term gains," Rosshandler said.  

He says he wants to remain optimistic about the cease-fire. 

But he says unless it’s immediately followed up with some sort of permanent change in Israel and Gaza’s relationship, then it’s likely the peace won’t last.  

"The status quo is unsustainable. To have a complete economic blockade enforced by air, sea and land and to have that situation since 2007, leads us to where we are today," Rosshandler said. 

So he says he and many others will likely continue to march in Atlanta for a more permanent solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict.  

"There needs to be a very big change, and it's got to be for the long-term good of both the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples. And that would come from allowing Gaza to become economically and politically self-sufficient and to lift this blockade," Rosshandler said.  

A pro-Palestine rally is scheduled for Black Friday in Atlanta.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.