Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena announced on Thursday that the Mexican government has secured the release of Ilana Gritzewsky Camhi, the young Mexican woman kidnapped by Hamas since October 7. The official thanked Qatar for its “invaluable mediation” and also Mexico’s National Intelligence Center. The government “continues to work,” Bárcena said, to secure the return of the other young man in the hands of the Islamist militia, Orión Hernández, and also of the two sailors who are part of the crew of a British freighter that kidnapped a few people weeks. by the Houthi rebel group from Yemen in the Red Sea.
On October 6, a few hours before the attack, 30-year-old Ilana Gritzewsky had dinner with her boyfriend Matán Zangauker in Ofakim, a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The couple had been living in the municipality of Nir Oz for two years with their dog Nuni. After the military offensive, Ilana managed to maintain contact with her brother Jaim and her father Benito Gritzewsky, according to Enlace Judío. But the next morning the family lost all contact with her. His father, Benito Gritzewsky, confirmed that Hamas had taken them all out of the house.
Since then, the foreign minister has insisted that negotiations are taking place to secure their release. “The release of the compatriot required numerous efforts by the Mexican authorities and the intervention of friendly countries; All these procedures are carried out in strict confidence to protect the integrity of the people,” the agency said in a statement on Thursday, highlighting only Qatar’s involvement.
Bárcena announced “with great joy” that the young woman was now with her family, who, according to local media, live in northern Israel. Her boyfriend remains trapped, while her pet showed up alone in the house a few days later. Ilana was born in Quintana Roo and moved to Israel at age 16 through the Naalé program, which provides college scholarships for youth. He first lived in Eilat, where he worked, and then, according to his father, moved to Sderot. It is dedicated to pastries and pastries for events. Shortly before her abduction, she had spent two months in Mexico, where her mother and brother still live. He returned to Israel on October 2nd. Her father hadn’t seen her.
In the video of her release, she can be seen saying goodbye to her captors with a “Bye, bye” (goodbye, goodbye, that’s Spanish) and appears to be in good physical condition. Gritzewsky is one of the eight hostages released by Hamas this Thursday, the last day of the ceasefire. In addition to the young woman, there are two minors and five other adult women, one of whom is Shani Goren, also of Uruguayan nationality. The Israel Defense Forces said they were handed over to the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, the government continues to press forward with work to release the second Mexican kidnapped by Hamas. Orión Hernández, originally from Tepotzlán (Morelos), was at the Tribe of Nova music festival, known as the Peace Festival, which took place near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel and near Gaza. Hamas broke into the cultural event and killed at least 260 young people. Others, whose number has not yet been confirmed, were kidnapped. Among them is the still prisoner Hernández and his girlfriend, the German Shani Louk.
The video of Louk’s abduction went viral after the 22-year-old girl’s body was displayed half-naked and lifeless in a van with Hamas militants, where one of them even spat on her. Her mother Ricarda announced that the young woman was in serious condition and had a head injury. On October 30, Israel confirmed that the girl had died.
Around 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government’s response in Gaza has already claimed more than 15,000 Palestinian lives, including more than 5,500 children.
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