A 4-year-old American girl was among 14 Israeli hostages and three foreign hostages who were released Sunday by Hamas after being taken from Israel nearly three months ago.
Abigail Edan, 4, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was confirmed to have been released Sunday. Edan was taken hostage on Oct. 7 after Hamas terrorists murdered her parents in front of her.
The Red Cross has informed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that they have taken custody of 14 Israeli hostages and three foreign hostages that Hamas released from Gaza on Sunday, according to the IDF.
“The Israeli government embraces the seventeen hostages who returned to Israel, fourteen of our citizens and three foreign citizens, who returned to Israel today,” the Israeli government said in a statement. “Their families were informed by the appointed officials that they are on their way to Israel.”
IDF and ISA forces were accompanying 12 of the hostages released in Israeli territory to Hatzerim Base, IDF said. Four additional released hostages are on their way to the Rafah Crossing. One hostage was airlifted directly to an Israeli hospital.
It is the third group of hostages that Hamas released as part of a fragile cease-fire between Hamas and Israel after Hamas militants seized around 240 people during the rampage across southern Israel that ignited the war.
Nine children, including Edan, were among those released Sunday. They are: Ella Elyakim, 8; Dafna Elyakim, 14; Ofry Brodutch, 10; Yuval Brodutch, 8; Oria Brodutch, 4; Agam Almog Goldstein 17; Gal Almog Goldstein 11; and Tal Almog Goldstein, 9.
Other hostages released included: Hagar Brodutch, 40; Chen Almog Goldstein, 49; Elma Avraham, 84; Adrienne (Aviva) Siegel, 62; and 25-year-old Roni Krivoi, a dual Russian Israeli citizen.
Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and as a show of appreciation for Moscow’s position on the war.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
