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Hamas releases 17 hostages Sunday, including 4-year-old American whose parents were killed by the terrorists
A 4-year-old girl whose parents were slain by Hamas was among 17 hostages released from Gaza on Sunday, marking the first time a US citizen has been freed since a delicate cease-fire was struck up between the terror organization and Israel.
Two American women were also reportedly on the list to be freed Sunday, although it was not immediately clear whether they were released, too.
The Israel-Hamas cease-fire began last week, fueled mainly by the release of Hamas hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners — and Hamas terrorists claimed Sunday that they want to extend their fragile four-day peace with Israel past its scheduled Monday end.
The Palestinian group said in a statement they want “to extend the truce after the four-day period ends, through serious efforts to increase the number of those released from imprisonment as stipulated in the humanitarian ceasefire agreement,’’ according to CNN.
The development came hours after Abigail Mor Edan — who turned 4 in captivity Friday after becoming an orphan in the deadly Oct. 7 incursion — was released to the Red Cross, senior US officials told CNN.
President Biden on Friday had expressed hope that the young Israeli-American girl would be among those released this weekend, telling reporters, “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
“Two days ago, one of our fellow Americans, a little girl named Abigail, turned 4 years old,” Biden said Sunday at a brief address while on vacation in Nantucket, Mass. “She spent her birthday — that birthday, and at least 50 days before that — held hostage by Hama.
“Today she’s free, and Jill and I — together with so many Americans — are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright,” he said, referring to his wife, first lady Jill Biden.
Abigail’s family thanked Biden and the Qatari government, which led the negotiation talks between Israel and Hamas, for the 4-year-old’s safe release.
“Today’s release proves that it’s possible,” the child’s family said in a statement. “We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing.”
The 17 newly released hostages, which included 14 Israeli and three foreign nations, all of whom were received by the Red Cross, were the third group freed since the cease-fire began Thursday.
Along with Abigail, the other hostages with Israeli citizenship have been identified as: Alma Avraham, 84; Aviva Adrienne Siegel ,62; Ron Krivoi, 25; Hagar Brodetz, 40; Ofri Brodetz, 10; Yuval Brodetz, 8; Oriya Brodetz, 4; Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48; Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17; Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11; Tal Goldstein-Almog, 9; Dafna Elyakim, 15, and Ela Elyakim, 8.
Some of them were directly taken to Israel, while others were transferred through Egypt, with Avraham airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital, the IDF said.
IDF rep Daniel Hagari said Avraham was listed in critical condition in the hospital but did not elaborate on her condition.
“There is still much work to be done, and our mission will not be complete until everyone, everyone, will return home,” he said during a briefing Sunday. “This is the moral obligation of every IDF soldier and commander, together with the security establishment.”
In exchange for the hostages, Israel was freeing 39 Palestinian prisoners, Qatar foreign ministry rep Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.
A fourth exchange was agreed to take place Monday, the final day of the cease-fire.
Hamas has released 58 hostages so far, including 40 Israeli citizens and 18 foreign nationals.
Hamas noted Sunday that it would release one Russian hostage “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and the Kremlin’s pro-Palestinian stance on the war. Israeli reported that the hostage to be released is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen.
Abigail had been snatched by Hamas on Kibbutz Kfar Aza after her father Roy Edan, 43, a photojournalist, and mother Smadar Edan were killed during the Oct. 7 attack.
Her older siblings, 6 and 10, survived after hiding in a closet for 14 hours.
Abigail was reportedly in her father’s arms when he and her mother were shot and killed by Hamas.
The young girl’s family had hoped she would be released ahead of her fourth birthday, which was Friday.
“The one thing that we all hold on to is that hope now that Abigail comes home, she comes home by Friday,” her aunt, Liz Hirsh Naftali, told CNN Tuesday night.
“Friday is her fourth birthday. We need to see Abigail come out, and then we will be able to believe it.”
At least 70 aid trucks carrying food, water, fuel, and medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing Saturday.
The aid included nearly 40,000 gallons of fuel and four trucks with natural gas for cooking as part of the cease-fire agreement, which will allow 200 supply trucks into the war-torn region.
The excruciating negotiations came on the second day of a four-day cease-fire between the terror group and the Israeli government and stalled the release of the 39 Palestinian prisoners set to be given in exchange for 17 hostages abducted in Hamas’ vicious Oct. 7 incursion.
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