12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi when freed Monday (IDF)
On the fifth day of a pause in the fighting in Gaza, the Hamas terrorist group released 12 more hostages that it has held in Gaza since the October 7th massacre that it perpetrated in Israel. Of these, 10 were Israeli women agreed upon under the ceasefire deal and who were foreign nationals working in Israel who were also taken hostage.
To date, 61 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for terrorists held in Israeli prisons. All were women and children, except for one man with Russian citizenship who was released at the behest of the Russian government.
This makes a total of 87 hostages released over the past five days during the “pause” in Gaza, 26 of whom are non-Israeli foreign workers who were working in places attacked on October 7.
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The hostages released over the first four days of the pause have told harrowing tales about their captivity.
12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi was released on Monday. His Aunt, Debra Cohen, told a French news service that her nephew was forced to watch footage from the October 7th massacre and that Hamas terrorists held a gun to his head when Eitan cried.
He spent 16 days in a room alone and a total of 52 days in captivity.
His father Ohad remains in captivity in Gaza.
Emily Hand is a 9-year-old girl with Irish citizenship who was first thought to have been killed on October 7. Her father Thomas Hand spoke about what happened to her.
“The most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering,” he said, “you couldn’t hear her. I had to put my ear on her lips. She’d been conditioned not to make any noise.”
“Last night she cried until her face was red and blotchy,” said Hand. “She couldn’t stop. She didn’t want any comfort, I guess she’s forgotten how to be comforted. She went under the covers of the bed, the quilt, covered herself up and quietly cried.”
The original agreement was for the release of 50 Israeli women and children over four days. That was then extended another two days to release 20 more hostages. Wednesday will be the last day of the extension.
The freed Israeli hostages are:
Gabriela Leimberg (59 years old)
Mia Leimberg (17 years old)
Clara Marman (63 years old)
Tamar Metzger (78 years old)
Ditza Hayman (84 years old)
Norlin Babdila (60 years old)
Ada Sagi (75 years old)
Ophelia Edith Roitman (77 years old)
Rimon Kirsht (36 years old)
Merav Tal (53 years old)
President Biden said of the release, “We will not stop working until we bring the hostages being held by Hamas home.”
US Senator John Fetterman (democrat from Pennsylvania) who is not Jewish posted images on Twitter of his office covered with posters of kidnapped Israelis held in Gaza.
“In my front office I have displayed the posters of the innocent Israelis kidnapped by Hamas,” he said. “They will stay up until every single person is safely returned home.
“It’s truly impotent and cowardly that Hamas has taken even babies as hostages,” he added. “HAMAS MUST RELEASE ALL THE HOSTAGES NOW!”
