Tears And Relief In Israel As 13 Hostages Freed After 2 Years In Hamas Captivity, Emotional Reunion Awaits
The IDF confirmed the return of 13 more hostages released by Hamas, bringing the total to 20. They are undergoing medical and psychological evaluations before reuniting with families.
Tel Aviv (Israel): The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that 13 more hostages freed by Hamas are on their way back to Israel after being handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza's Khan Younis.
According to the IDF, the hostages are being accompanied by personnel from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) as they make their way to Israel for an initial medical assessment.
"The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel," the IDF said in a statement, welcoming the group after two years in captivity.
The Red Cross informed Israeli authorities earlier that the 13 hostages had been collected from Hamas custody in southern Gaza and were en route to Israeli territory.
The freed hostages have been identified as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, and Ariel Cunio.
They will also undergo medical and psychological evaluations before reuniting with their families at designated reception centres in southern Israel.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit urged the public to respect the privacy of the returning hostages and their families during this emotional time.
"We ask the public to act responsibly and with sensitivity, to respect the privacy of the returning hostages, and to rely solely on official information," the statement read.
Earlier, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that seven hostages had already been transferred to the Red Cross and were on their way to Israeli forces waiting inside Gaza.
The IDF said the first group of seven, identified as Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal, was safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces. All seven hostages released in the first batch arrived at an IDF facility near the border community of Re'im for a physical and mental checkup.
Then they will meet their families, as per Times of Israel. Emotional footage emerged showing Israeli families speaking with their loved ones. Avishai David, the father of hostage Evyatar David, told Channel 12 that he and his family are waiting to "hug, smell, and breathe" their son upon his release, after speaking with him in a video call while he remains in Hamas captivity.
In a video, Avi Ohana, the father of hostage Yosef Haim Ohana, is seen speaking with his son, telling him that "everyone is waiting" for the hostages' return.The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that all families of the seven hostages had been informed that their loved ones were now in the care of IDF forces and would soon arrive in Israel.
"The Government of Israel is committed to the return of all hostages held by the enemy and will pursue this mission with determination and persistence," the statement said, adding that the government "embraces our hostages returning home."
The release took place as US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel. According to the White House, Trump watched the first moments of the hostage handover from aboard Air Force One en route to Tel Aviv. The White House called the development "history in the making."
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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