The moment 9-year-old hostage is reunited with family
Television cameras have captured the heartwarming moment a nine-year-old boy held hostage by Hamas runs to hug his father for the first time since his release.
The clip, shows Ohad Munder rushing down the hallway of Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikv after spotting his dad. His mother, Keren, and grandmother, Ruthi, are also shown being reunited with their family after being held captive by Hamas for seven weeks.
All were seized from a kibbutz by Hamas gunmen during their murderous rampage on October 7 which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis.
In a separate clip, Doron Katz Asher, 34, and her daughters, Raz, four, and Aviv, two, were shown hugging dad Yoni, with the older girl saying: “I dreamed we were going home.”
Hamas was today preparing to release more than a dozen hostages in exchange for several dozen Palestinian prisoners held by Israel on the second day of a cease-fire which has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
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Ohad Munder spots his dad and runs into his arms (Image: Schneider Children’s Medical Center)
While there is ongoing uncertainty about the details of the exchange, there was optimism, too, amid the scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.
On the first day of the four-day cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the about 240 hostages, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.
On Saturday, Hamas provided mediators Egypt and Qatar with a list of 14 hostages to be released, and it has been passed to Israel, according to a Egyptian official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk about details of the ongoing negotiations.
A second Egyptian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the details. The head of Egypt’s government press office and the state-run Qahera news outlet said 13 hostages would be exchanged for 39 prisoners.
Keren Munder and Ohad before their capture (Image: AP)
Under the truce agreement, Hamas will release one Israeli hostage for every three prisoners freed. Israel’s Prison Service said earlier Saturday it was preparing 42 prisoners for release. It was not immediately clear how many non-Israeli captives may also be released.
Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce, all woman and minors.
Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed – something which US President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.
Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and “ensure the deal continues to move smoothly,” according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. Again, the official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.
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Father hugs wife and children after hostages released
The start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment which has killed thousands
The United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on October 21.
It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel – just over 10 percent of the daily pre-war volume – as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.
For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza, the focus of Israel’s ground offensive. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area since the start of the war.
Rav and Aviv Katz Asher have also been freed (Image: AP)
The UN said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City, where much of the fighting has taken place, to a hospital in Khan Younis.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.
The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead, though the latest number was not broken down.
The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where communications have broken down.
