COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Both Jewish and Muslim leaders in central Ohio are applauding the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, saying it is long overdue.  Organizers with JewishColumbus and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said that this is something they’ve wanted since Oct. 7, 2023, but they want to be clear that they’re still awaiting real results.  “Until the hostages are actually returned, it's not over,” Julie Tilson Stanley, the CEO of JewishColumbus, said.   “I'm glad the hostages, the 10,000 Palestinians and the hundreds of Israelis, are going to be getting out very soon, hopefully,” Khalid Turaani, the executive director for CAIR-Ohio, said.  Over the past 15 months, Jewish and Palestinian community members across Ohio and the United States have come together and held rallies, protests and vigils, all calling for a ceasefire.  “We've lost many, many, many friends in Gaza: doctors, teachers, civilians, civil servants. So our prayers, of course, [are] with their families,” Turaani said.   “While we can't imagine again what they are going through, we offer support in many different ways. We offer support through advocacy and making sure we're educating the community on what is happening and that there are still hostages and we want to bring them home now,” Tilson Stanley said.   Turaani said that while he’s hopeful a deal will be finalized, officially ending the war, it doesn’t stop there. He said that a lot of rebuilding will need to take place in the Middle East.    “I think the fact that about 80% of the houses in Gaza are inhabitable is a very sad reality,” Turaani said.   In October of 2026, JewishColumbus is planning to send nearly 300 locals to Israel. Tilson Stanley said the trip is nearly sold out already.   “You can tell that there is a need for us to be with our family and friends and colleagues in Israel. And there is a real commitment in Columbus to the only Jewish state,” she said.   Both JewishColumbus and CAIR leaders say that they hope this ceasefire deal will lead to permanent peace. If all of the details are approved, we could have a deal cemented by this weekend.