Israel-Gaza: Among the prisoners freed is a four-year-old child

 Israel-Gaza: Among the prisoners freed is a four-year-old child

Three of the seventeen captives freed by Hamas on Sunday included a four-year-old Israeli-American child who was kidnapped by the organization during an incident in southern Israel on October 7.

When Avigail Idan was just three years old, Hamas militants assaulted and murdered her parents at her house, taking her captive.

While in Hamas captivity, she celebrated her fourth birthday.

The relatives of Avigail stated: "We prayed and hoped that today would come."

The great aunt of Avigail, Liz Hirsch Naftali, and her cousin Noah Naftali released a statement saying, "We have no words to express our gratitude and relief that Avigail is safe and coming home."

In addition, he urged for the release of the other captives and expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden, the Qatari government, and those parties engaged in ensuring Avigail's release.

"We have to keep working hard. We are still standing by the families of any hostages who are being held, and we are still fully committed to making sure they return safely and quickly."

Avigail had experienced a "terrible trauma," according to President Biden, who also claimed that what she had gone through was "unimaginable."

In an interview with reporters, he stressed that Avigail would be surrounded by "love and care."

"Today she is free, and Jill (U.S. First Lady Jill Biden) and I, along with many Americans, are praying for the fact that she will recover," he said.

The captives were freed on Sunday as a consequence of "intense American diplomacy," according to President Biden, who also said he anticipated the release of other American hostages in the days ahead.

"We continue to apply pressure and hope that additional Americans will be released," he said. "We will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones," he said.

Of the seventeen captives, three were Thai nationals and fourteen were Israelis. Among the Israelites were nine children.

Avigail and her family were residing in the Kfar Aza kibbutz on October 7. Her two siblings fled the scene of the assault and were eventually found, but her parents perished in the process. Avigail's father was shot while being held by her mother's cousin, who confirmed this to Sky News.

After making her escape, she went to live with her neighbors, the Brodach family, but Hamas eventually abducted the family as well.

Some of the Brodach family, including four-year-old Oria, his eight-year-old brother Yuval, and their ten-year-old sister Ofri, were among the hostages freed on Sunday.

Hagar Brodach, his 40-year-old mother, was also let free.

Shmuel Brodach, Hagar's father-in-law, expressed his relief to Israel's Channel 13 News as soon as he learned that the Red Cross was handling their care.

"I hope I can make the same effort until the last captive returns," he said. Though I am really thrilled, I feel more obligated to other families—including the IDF soldiers—until the last hostage returns."

Chen Almog-Goldstein, 48, and her three children—Tal, 8, Gal, 11, and Agam, 17—who were kidnapped from their Kfar Azza homes the day of the attack—are among the other hostages who have been freed. Hamas assassinated Chen's husband Nadav and their daughter Yam, who was 20 years old.

In addition, sisters Daphna and Ela Eliakim, who are eight and fifteen years old, respectively, were also let free. On the day of the incident, they were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where they lived. The assailants broadcast the kidnapping of the whole family live.

In a statement, their mother Maayan Zin expressed her happiness at her daughters' homecoming and noted that it was "joy mixed with sadness".

I'm glad my girls are here and I'm sorry about the ones who haven't come back yet. Not until everyone gets home safely will my heart be in good condition again."

Since the daughters were abducted, she claimed to have been living "between despair and hope, between pain and optimism".

"The girls are returning to a fresh as well complex situation, and we now have a process of recovery that will take time," she said.

Other captives freed include Adrienne Aviva Siegel, 62, who was abducted from her house in Kfar Aza, and Roni Krivoi, 25, a dual Israeli-Russian citizen who was employed as a sound engineer at the Supernova music festival. I went. Keith, her 64-year-old spouse.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson, stated that Elma Avraham, 84, was evacuated to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in critical condition.

As part of a four-day truce between Hamas and Israel, 39 Palestinian inmates have been released, according to confirmation from Israel's prison service.

On October 7, 1,200 people were slain and around 240 captives were taken prisoner by Hamas. Since then, Israel's retaliation assault in the region has claimed the lives of around 14,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is managed by Hamas.

The third day of a four-day ceasefire in Gaza saw the release of several Hamas captives in return for the freedom of Palestinian inmates on Sunday.

There have already been 54 hostages liberated overall over this time, and 117 convicts have been let free.