UGA student’s young cousins released by Hamas, but their father is still held captive

ATHENS, Ga. — It’s been more than 50 days of waiting and wondering for Ron Tsur.

Channel 2 Action News first spoke with the UGA 3rd year in October after three of his cousins were kidnapped by Hamas in Israel.

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“It felt like an eternity,” Tsur said about the 50 days that have followed. “You wake up every morning waiting for a text that they didn’t make it, or he didn’t make it.”

On Monday, Hamas released 12-year-old Erez and 16-year-old Sahar Kalderon. However, their father, Ofer, remained in Hamas custody.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Tsur said. “It is hard to celebrate. Not only is part of the family still stuck in a tunnel in the middle of Gaza, so many other families don’t have the ability to hug their family again and see them free.”

So far, most of the Hamas hostages released have been women, children, and the elderly. Men like Ofer have not typically been released.

The cease-fire between Hamas and Israel is set to expire later this week.

“I sadly think this has just begun,” Tsur said.

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At UGA, Tsur says he and other Jewish members have been trying to spread awareness about what some families are facing.

“We’ve been trying to convey to the people that this is real. That people are affected by this and that this reality is heart-wrenching,” Tsur said.

Tsur says family in Israel told him that Erez and Sahar are physically okay.

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