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A helicopter transports hostages to Israel
Photo: Leo Correa / AP
A four-year-old girl, who has now been released by the Islamist Hamas, witnessed the murder of both her parents. On October 7, Abigail Edan, then a three-year-old American, was at home with her two siblings, aged 10 and 6, on a kibbutz on the border with the Gaza Strip when Hamas terrorists invaded and shot the mother in front of the three children, US media reported.
When her father lay protectively over his daughter, he too was shot. Her siblings survived because they hid in a closet, where they held out for 14 hours before being rescued, it said.
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Her little sister, who was initially thought to be dead, crawled out from under her father's body and ran to a neighbor's house, the Washington Post quoted a relative of the girl as saying. The terrorists seized the girl and her family of five and abducted her to the Gaza Strip along with many other civilians. Last Friday, little Abigail turned four years old in captivity.
"What she had to endure is unimaginable," US President Joe Biden said after the girl, who holds both Israeli and US citizenship, was released among the hostages on Sunday as part of the agreement between Israel and Hamas.
"She has experienced a terrible trauma"
"She's been through terrible trauma," Biden said. "What a joy it is to see her with us, but on the other hand, it's also sad that she's returning to a reality where she doesn't have parents," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "She doesn't have parents — but she has a whole nation that embraces her, and we're going to take care of all her needs."
The great-aunt and cousin said in a statement on Sunday that they had "no words to express our relief and gratitude," according to the newspaper. The little girl will live with her siblings with her aunt, uncle and grandparents in Israel, a relative was quoted as saying. Since Friday, 58 of the approximately 240 hostages held by Hamas have been released. This Monday, the release of another ten hostages is expected.
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