An Israeli who was “happy” that his family was freed by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Friday said he could not “celebrate” their return without releasing all other hostages held in Gaza.
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On the first day of a ceasefire in Palestinian territory, the ruling Hamas organization freed 13 Israeli hostages, bringing the total number of prisoners released to 29 from about 240 during the October 7 attack by Israeli commandos. Islamist movement, the deadliest since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.
That day, Yoni Asher remained at his home north of Tel Aviv as his wife, Doron Asher Katz, 34, visited her mother at Kibbutz Nir Oz with their 2- and 4-year-old daughters.
When the commandos attacked the kibbutz, they kidnapped his wife and daughters and murdered Doron’s mother, Efrat Katz, 69.
“I am happy to have found my family. Feeling joy is allowed and it is allowed to shed a tear. It’s human,” Yoni Asher said in a video posted by the Hostage Families Forum on Friday evening.
“But I don’t celebrate, I won’t celebrate until the last hostages come home,” he added.
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“I want to emphasize that our children, our fathers, our mothers, our sisters are being held hostage right now, there are people whose hearts are being torn right now, and I want to make sure that every hostage comes home,” he said . he added.
Doron’s brother Ravid Katz and her mother’s partner, Gadi Moses, are still held in Gaza.
“I am determined to help my family recover from the terrible trauma we have been through,” Mr Asher said. “There are still difficult days ahead for me.”
The agreement allowing their release, which comes at the end of the seven-week war between Israel and Hamas, involves a four-day renewable ceasefire under which 50 hostages held in Gaza and 150 Palestinians held in Israel must be released.
On Friday, 39 Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli prisons.
On the sidelines of the main deal, 10 Thais and one Filipino, also held hostage, were released after Qatar led negotiations with Egypt and the United States.