Following mutual accusations of violations of the agreement that they placed truce on the tightrope, Israel and the fundamentalist group Hamas carried out the second round of liberation of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners several hours late. The personal intervention of US President Joe Biden in Qatar and Egypt made it possible to save a very fragile pact.
While the Gazans They lived a second day without bombs Waiting for the four-day ceasefire to lengthen as did the queue yesterday to receive gas cylinders, Israel once again experienced strong feelings at the return of some of those kidnapped in the Hamas attacks on October 7.
In the morning, Israelis saw Ohad Munder (9) running into the arms of his father Avi or elderly Yafa Adar (85) surrounded by her family after being held by militants for 49 days and being released on Friday night in the first group of 13 people. At night, they received to 13 other children and women and they speculated on the new list knowing that 195 will remain in the hands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The ceasefire includes the release of Palestinian prisoners – this Saturday another 39 teenagers and women – and the increase in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. At the same time and in parallel, Hamas has freed 15 foreigners (4 this Saturday) kidnapped while working in southern Israel.
The return of eight children and five women this Saturday has been celebrated in a Dead Sea hotel where For the past 50 days, displaced people have been staying at the Beeri kibbutz, where most of the freed kidnapped people came from. Joy was mixed with disappointment for those who remain in custody and sadness for those who will no longer return. And anger because Hila Rotem (13) returned without her mother Raya despite the fact that Hamas had committed in the agreement not to separate minors from her mothers. Maya Regev (21), who was rushed to the hospital although her life is not in danger, is the first young woman released from those who were kidnapped at the massive music festival in Reeim where there was the bloodiest attack on September 7. October. Her brother Itai, who was also at the macro party, is still kidnapped. The hostages released on Friday saw him from the two hospitals where they were treated with medical examinations that confirmed that, at least physically, They are fine.
“I am very happy to have my wife Doron and my two daughters Raz (4) and Aviv (2) here again but we do not celebrate because There are many who stayed there. We are all one family and I will continue fighting for everyone to return,” proclaimed Yoni Asher after meeting for the first time with her kidnapped family at Kibbutz Nir Oz. Adar, one of the founders of this agricultural group, returned without knowing that she can no longer return. to his razed kibbutz nor that many of his neighbors were kidnapped, including his grandson Tamir, and others, murdered. Hanna Katzir (76) did not know either. that her husband was murdered and his son, apparently, kidnapped. From his first comments, it is deduced that they were in a tunnel. The belief is that the majority of those kidnapped are in the south of the Gaza Strip. That is, far from the soldiers massively deployed in the north.