Ohad, Or, and Eli are back home, in Israel, after spending 491 days in Hamas captivity. Meanwhile, the Israel Prison Service is gearing up for the release of 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 18 sentenced to life terms, who will be transferred to the West Bank and Gaza.

Eli grew up in Tel Aviv, but as an adult, he fell in love with Kibbutz Be’eri and made it his home until he was kidnapped. His brother Yossi was also abducted and later declared dead in captivity. Meanwhile, his other brother and niece have become prominent faces in the fight to bring back the hostages. 'We have no time to mourn.'

Or Levy, 34, spent just nine minutes with his wife Einav before the terrorist attack on October 7. When the rockets began to fall, they ran to the 'death shelter,' where Einav was murdered. He left behind his three-year-old son, Almog, who is still waiting for his father.

Kidnapped alongside his wife Raz Ben-Ami during the Oct. 7 attack on Kibbutz Be'eri, their ordeal began after an extended period hiding in their safe room.

Will the Gaza Strip join the American territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands? Unlikely. But there are very interesting formulas to make it work.