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Adrienne Siegel, known as Aviva, shortly after her release
Photo: AMIR COHEN / REUTERS
Three days after the start of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, 17 more hostages have been released. This was confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, to which Hamas handed over the hostages.
The Israeli army said it received 13 Israeli hostages in Israel on Sunday evening. Twelve of the Israeli hostages were initially taken to a military base near the southern city of Beersheva. One hostage was flown directly to a hospital.
The Soroka hospital in Beersheba confirmed that an 84-year-old female hostage had been taken to the clinic by helicopter. It is currently being investigated. Details were not initially given.
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American hostage Abigail Edan: "What she had to endure is unimaginable"
Photo: Tal Edan / AP
Among the four foreign hostages were three Thais and one Israeli-Russian citizen. Four-year-old U.S. citizen Abigail Edan was also released. "She's free and she's in Israel now," Biden said. "What she had to endure is unimaginable."
Abigail's mother was killed in front of the girl in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists, Biden said. The father was also shot when he lay protectively over the girl. The child then ran to the neighbors in her kibbutz, who were also taken hostage. Last Friday, the girl spent her fourth birthday in captivity.
In addition to the girl, two other U.S. nationals, two women, are said to be among the approximately 50 hostages whose release had been negotiated under the hostage agreement. A total of ten U.S. nationals were recently reported missing. However, it is unclear whether all those who remain are being held hostage by Hamas.
Also 39 Palestinian prisoners at liberty
In return, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners, as it did during the hostage releases on Friday and Saturday. According to Palestinian reports, there were 39 male youths under the age of 19. They were released from several prisons during the evening, the Israel Prison Authority announced on Sunday evening.
Among them was reportedly a prisoner from the Gaza Strip. He was released at the Kerem Shalom crossing, according to the prison authorities. The rest of the freedmen were expected in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In Ramallah, a large crowd gathered to receive them.
Will the ceasefire be extended?
The ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas is expected to last until at least Tuesday morning. During this period, 30 children, eight mothers and 150 other women kidnapped by the Islamists are to be exchanged for <> Palestinian women and adolescents in Israeli prisons. A deal to this effect was struck this week with the mediation of Qatar and the United States.
The ceasefire could theoretically be extended to up to 10 days if Hamas released 10 more hostages for each additional day. Hamas said in a statement that it would seek an extension of the four-day period if serious efforts were made to increase the number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israel.
US President Biden also said on Sunday that he was also in favor of extending the ceasefire as long as more hostages were released. In the evening, he wants to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Four German dual nationals dismissed on Saturday evening
On Saturday evening, after hours of delay, Hamas released the second group of hostages; they were 13 Israelis, including four German dual nationals, and four Thais. In return, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners.
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The German-Israelis are 38-year-old Adina Shoham, her three-year-old daughter Jahel and her eight-year-old son Naveh, as well as Shoham's 67-year-old mother, Shoshan Haran.
For the first time, 21-year-old Maja Regev was released as a hostage who had been abducted by Hamas fighters during their brutal attack on the Supernova music festival. Hundreds more, mostly young people, were killed in the attack on 7 October.
slü/dpa/AFP/Reuters