Rochester Rallies for Gaza Ceasefire and Lasting Peace Amid Uncertainty

Rochester, N.Y. — With the recent news of a ceasefire, a man from Rochester is hopeful that he will be able to return to Israel as the expected release of hostages takes place on Monday. Marc Cohen shared his experience of escaping from Israel with his family in the days following the October 7th terror attacks, which cut his two-week trip short.

"We heard the sirens. We immediately made our way back to our car," said Marc Cohen. "My wife, being seven and a half months pregnant at that time was going as fast as she could, and we were going as fast as we could."

Cohen expressed his hope that tensions can be resolved. He believes that there should be recognition of how this war started, and that those responsible for starting it should be held accountable. He also emphasized the importance of the release of hostages to ensure a ceasefire and peace in the region.

Cohen mentioned that his parents returned to Israel this year to show solidarity with the Israeli people, two years after the attack. They described a quiet, cautious optimism in the country. Israeli officials anticipate the release of 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The news of the agreement brought relief to a local student activist involved with Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Rochester. The activist stated that their demonstrations against the Israeli government's actions are far from over.

"I think there's a lot of worries that even with a ceasefire, a path for meaningful self-determination for the Palestinian people has not yet been established on the international level," said Miller Gentry-Sharp, a senior at the university. "We would like to continue work to see that be made a reality."

Gentry-Sharp expressed concerns about the possibility of Gaza being placed under continuous administrative control by the Trump administration, Israel, or an international body. He believes that Palestinians deserve to have their own government and elections. While he is happy that there is a path for the war to end, he feels that there is currently no clear path for Palestinian self-determination.

According to a report by the Associated Press, approximately 11% of Gaza's population has been killed or injured since the conflict began. Kathleen Kern, who worked in the West Bank for years, questioned why Palestinian life is considered so disposable. She also highlighted the rise in antisemitism around the world, which she finds very concerning.

Monica Gebell of the Levine Center to End Hate in Rochester hopes for healing. She mentioned that many people around the world, including those in the Rochester region, are waiting anxiously for what comes next.

"This has had an incredible toll on people's mental health and our hearts are broken for all of the people whose lives have been affected," said Gebell. "This will take decades of not only rebuilding physically, but rebuilding trust between people. Trust that was broken on Oct. 7; not only trust between Palestinians and Israelis, but trust by Israelis in their own government, and trust by Gazans that there will be a rebuilding plan that holds that piece is possible."

Gebell added that a vigil in Rochester is being planned for this upcoming Thursday, October 16, to honor the lives lost in the October 7th terror attacks.