The family of an American girl expected to be among 50 hostages released by Hamas is hoping she will be home in time for her fourth birthday on Friday.
Abigail Mor Edan, three, was among those abducted by the terror group from her kibbutz in southern Israel during the brutal October 7 atrocities.
Her father Roy Edan, 43, a photojournalist, and his wife Smadar Edan, 40, were murdered, but she fled to a neighbor’s house.
Her ten-year-old brother and six-year-old sister, who witnessed their parents’ execution, hid for 14 hours but survived. Abigail was kidnapped along with her neighbors.
She is now expected to be among 50 hostages released after a fragile deal was brokered between Israel and Hamas. Among them were two American women.
Abigail’s great-aunt Elizabeth Naftali, who lives in Los Angeles, recounted Tuesday evening how the family prayed that the agreement would be honored and the girl would be released.
Abigail Mor Edan, 3, has both American and Israeli citizenship and was living in Israel when Gazan terrorists stormed her kibbutz Kfar Azza on October 7
Abigail’s great-aunt Elizabeth Naftali is an LA-based real estate developer. She said they were desperately hoping she would be home in time for her birthday on Friday
She told CNN: “For our family, we have spent the last seven weeks worrying, wondering, praying and hoping.
“The one thing we’re all holding on to is the hope that if Abigail comes home now, she’ll be home by Friday.
“Friday is her 4th birthday. “We have to see Abigail come out and then we can believe it.”
It is estimated that 236 people were arrested on October 7 from Israel, Thailand, the USA, Great Britain, France, Argentina, Portugal, the Netherlands and other countries.
It is unclear how many are still alive. Nine of the 236 are said to be US citizens.
Hamas has released four hostages so far – Israeli-American mother and daughter Judith Raanan, 59, and Natalie Raanan, 17, who were released on October 20, and two Israeli citizens – Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79 – which were returned on October 23rd.
Joe Biden said on Tuesday evening that he welcomed the deal but wanted all hostages to be released.
“Today’s deal should bring more American hostages home, and I will not stop until they are all released,” he said.
According to authorities in Gaza, Israeli bombings have since leveled large swaths of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and killed 13,300 civilians.
The picture shows demonstrators in Tel Aviv on November 18th demanding the release of the hostages
An estimated 200 people were arrested by Hamas on October 7. It is not known how many are still alive
The U.S. official said it was likely that more than 50 hostages, mostly women and children, would be released once there was a lull in fighting, likely on Thursday.
It is not known for certain how many Americans are in captivity, but it is believed to be nine.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on November 12 that America does not have an “accurate number.”
“We know the number of missing people and that is the number that the Israelis have given.” “But we don’t know how many of them are still alive,” Sullivan said.
“As far as Americans are concerned, there are nine missing American citizens and one missing legal resident.” [resident]a green card holder.’
Under the agreement, Hamas will release 50 hostages and Israel will release 150 Palestinian prisoners during a four- to five-day break in fighting.
The hostage group includes two American women and an American girl named Abigail, who turns 4 on Friday, the official said.
Abigail’s six-year-old sister Amalia and her 10-year-old brother Michael witnessed Hamas entering their home and murdering their mother, Smadar Edan, 40.
The two children ran to find their father, Roy, who was outside holding Abigail.
They began to flee for shelter, but a Hamas terrorist killed Roy.
The older children ran back into their house, where their mother’s lifeless body was, and locked themselves in a closet.
While they were trapped in the closet, Michael made a frightening phone call to his grandfather, Carmel.
He said: “Grandpa, terrorists killed Dad outside the house, they killed Mom and Abigail inside. ‘I’m alone with Amalia.’
They hid there for 14 hours until they were rescued by a relative and taken to an animal shelter.
Abigail, the youngest sister, somehow managed to find her way to her neighbor.
The Brodutch family took Abigail in when the rampage began.
Then the mother, Hagar, her three children and Abigail disappeared.
Abigail’s great-aunt Elizabeth Naftali, a Los Angeles-based real estate developer, told Grazia on November 8: “We have not heard anything yet about where Abigail is, what conditions she is living in or when she might be released. “It is absolutely unbearable.
“Losing my niece and her husband, knowing there’s a little girl somewhere, there’s no pain like this.”
“Abigail is such a beautiful child, very smart and independent. “Her wonderful mother was a thoughtful, intelligent woman and she had raised these three incredible children.”
She continued: “Abigail is three years old, and although she no longer has parents, she has a huge extended family full of love: grandparents who cherish her and her siblings.”
“If she comes back to us, she will stay with them.
“All I want to do is hug the little girl and tell her that she is loved and that her older siblings are desperately looking forward to her return.
“They are devastated and in shock, they have lost everything in one fell swoop – but they hope that Abigail will be with them again soon. ‘We all do that.’
Abigail’s father Roy Edan, 43, a photojournalist, and his wife Smadar Edan, 40, were buried on October 20.
Last week I met with the families of hostages held by Hamas terrorists, including the family of three-year-old Abigail Mor Edan.
And I made them a promise: We will go to the ends of the earth to bring their loved ones home. #BringThemHomeNow pic.twitter.com/Id4nnd45Jz
– Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (@gillibrandny) October 24, 2023
Following the deaths of Israeli news photographer Roy Edan and his wife Smadar, Edan’s father sits next to the couples’ graves during their funeral on October 20 in Kfar Harif, Israel
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (right) holds a picture of abducted Israeli girl Abigail Mor Edan
Friends and family mourn Smadar Edan and Roy Edan, who were killed following the deadly infiltration of Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip
Abigail’s father Roy Edan, 43, and his wife Smadar Edan, 40, were murdered by Hamas. Her two oldest children, Michael and Amalia, hid in a closet and are alive. Abigail, her youngest (far left in the picture), is currently a hostage in Gaza
Abigail’s parents were murdered by Hamas – she shot her father while she was still in his arms – but despite the panic, the little girl knew enough to run to her neighbors for shelter
The first releases of hostages are expected within 24 hours of the deal being announced, with the first expected to be released on Thursday morning, the official said.
“I would say it is at least 50 of the women and children over a period of four to five days,” the official said, without giving details of other nationalities expected to be released.
The agreement also provides for further deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Officials hope the pause will also be observed in northern Israel, where there have been clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
A strict inspection regime will ensure Hamas does not use the pause to arm the group’s fighters in Gaza, the official said.
Hamas said: “They actually need a break to locate and determine where people are,” the official said.
The pause will give Hamas time to identify and round up more women and children, the official said.
“We assume there will be more than 50, but I just don’t want to give a number,” the official said.
“But the way the deal is structured is a huge incentive for everyone to be released.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas is expected to release 50 women and children of the 239 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip within four days, the Israeli government said.
Hamas will release 12 Israeli women and children every night for four days.
Israel said it would extend the respite by another day for every 10 hostages released.
In return, Israel will allow three hundred aid trucks into the Gaza Strip each day of the ceasefire and release 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, according to sources close to the talks.
It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would take effect, but it was believed the first hostages would be released on Thursday.
Biden issued a statement praising the hostages’ courage and thanking the leaders of Qatar and Egypt for their mediation efforts.
“Jill and I have held all of the hostages and their loved ones in our hearts for many weeks, and I am extremely pleased that some of these brave souls who endured weeks of captivity and unspeakable ordeal will be reunited with their families as soon as this Deal is fully implemented,” he said.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas after the ceasefire expires.
Biden statement on hostage release
I welcome the agreement to secure the release of the hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas in its brutal attack on Israel on October 7th.
Jill and I have held all of the hostages and their loved ones in our hearts for many weeks, and I am extremely pleased that some of these brave souls who endured weeks of captivity and unspeakable ordeal will be reunited with their families once this deal is complete is implemented.
I thank Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt for their critical leadership and partnership in reaching this agreement. And I appreciate the commitment that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made in supporting an extended pause to ensure that this agreement can be fully implemented and to ensure that additional humanitarian assistance is provided to address the suffering of innocent Palestinians to provide relief to families in Gaza. I look forward to speaking with each of these leaders and remaining in close contact as we work to ensure this agreement is fully implemented. It is important that all aspects of this deal are fully implemented.
As President, my priority is no higher than ensuring the safety of Americans held hostage around the world. That is why, since the first moments of Hamas’ brutal attack, my national security team and I have worked closely with regional partners to do everything we can to secure the release of our fellow citizens. We saw the first results of these efforts in late October when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones. Today’s deal should bring more American hostages home, and I won’t stop until they’re all released.
Today’s deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals throughout the United States government to bring Americans home.
Showing his determination to press ahead with his goal of wiping out Hamas, Netanyahu (pictured) said in a statement: “There is a lot of nonsense saying that after the pause to return our hostages, we will end the war.”
He said in a statement: “There is a lot of nonsense saying that after the break to return our hostages we will end the war.”
“Then I want to make it clear: We are at war – and we will continue the war.” We will continue the war until we have achieved all of our war goals.
“To eliminate Hamas, return all of our hostages and missing persons, and ensure that there is no element in Gaza that threatens Israel.”
Hamas sources said they had lost contact with “some groups that were holding hostages” and wanted a no-fly clause so they could conduct searches without being spied on from the air.
Critics pointed out that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, had extensive surveillance of the area and was unlikely to have “lost” the hostages.
However, a Hamas-linked Islamic Jihad group announced the death of one of the Israeli hostages on Tuesday.
“We previously expressed our willingness to release them on humanitarian grounds, but the enemy hesitated and this led to their deaths,” they said.
Online reports named the hostage as 76-year-old Katzir Hanna, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
A source close to the families said: “She is no longer with us.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said before the cabinet meeting: “We are close to an agreement on a ceasefire.”
Joe Biden, who helped broker the deal with Qatar, also said he believed a deal was “very close now.”
In his address to the Cabinet, Netanyahu said accepting a deal to release hostages was “a difficult but right decision.”
Biden helped “improve the framework presented to you to take in more hostages at a lower price,” he told his Cabinet as it met to vote on the deal.
“The entire security establishment fully supports it.”
Biden reportedly worked “hour by hour” on the deal.
The parents and relatives of the children abducted on October 7th take part in a demonstration in front of the UNICEF headquarters in Tel Aviv
An image taken from a position near Sderot on Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke rising during an Israeli bombardment of Gaza
The families of the hostages had demanded that Israel insist on the return of all detainees, and the Religious Zionist Party, part of Netanyahu’s coalition government, had opposed the deal.
They said it was “bad” for the security of Israel, for the hostages and soldiers.
There was speculation that Irish-Israeli Emily Hands, who celebrated her ninth birthday in captivity, would be among those released.
At first it was assumed that Emily had been murdered – her father Thomas said she hoped it was to avoid imprisonment in Gaza – and then the family was told she was still alive.
She was reportedly among the first handful of hostages slated for release, but there was no official confirmation.
The original plan was that women and children would be released first and in return the Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would go the other way.
However, an Israeli government official said that any prisoner proposed for release could have their decision overturned if the families of victims of their crimes opposed it.
The spokesman said: “If any of these prisoners have blood on their hands, the families of their victims have 24 hours to oppose their release and approach the Supreme Court.”
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari indicated that the hostage deal would have no impact on the military’s main goal of eliminating the Hamas terror group.
He said: “The goal of repatriating the hostages is significant. Even if it reduces some other things, we will know how to restore our operational successes.”
He added that the military would “inform the families of the hostages first and then the public.”