Liran Berman, brother of twins Ziv and Gali Berman, who were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7, 2023, and held in the Gaza Strip, poses for a portrait at home with his family dog, Barbie, in Or Akiva, Israel, Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

After twelve days of intense strikes between Israel and Iran – punctuated by the United States’ bombing of Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend and Tehran’s performative retaliation – a US-brokered ceasefire appeared to be holding on Tuesday.

But the war between Israel and Iran, and the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted 12 days of fighting, have sparked fresh hope that his brothers, Gali and Ziv, may finally return home.