Between grief and joy, Israel awaits the return of its hostages

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.
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