Dozens of hostages are recovering after being freed from their captors, after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect.
Almost eight weeks of violence came to a halt as the truce began, with Hamas so far releasing 41 hostages in the first two days of the truce.
Among those who were freed by the radical Palestinian group was nine-year-old Emily Hand, who’s father thought she was dead.
When Emily was at a sleepover on October 7th, the neighbourhood was bombed and her father Thomas, was told his daughter had died.
Now, Thomas and Emily have been reunited, with their emotional reunion just one of many as families across Israel saw the return of their loved ones.
Also released by Hamas was four-year-old Abigail Edan, an American-Israeli dual citizen who was abducted by Hamas almost eight weeks ago.
US President Joe Biden commented on Abigail’s release, saying she has been through “the unthinkable”, as the four-year-old saw her mother get killed, before her father was also killed as he tried to shield her from the bombings.
Biden said Abigail is receiving love, care and “the supportive services she needs” and adding he hoped “this is not the end of the temporary truce”.
“What she endured was unthinkable. She has been through a terrible trauma,” he said.
All 41 hostages released by Hamas from captivity in Gaza are stable, according to local medical professionals.
The truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday morning, marking the end of seven weeks of constant fighting since the bombing of southern Israel on October 7th.
The four-day pause is expected to see the exchange of 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli jails for 50 women and children hostages held by Hamas.
Israeli officials, while adamant that the truce is not an end to the war, have also agreed to pause fighting for an additional day for every further 10 captives freed by Hamas.
Image credits: CNN
