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The White House was hopeful that at least one American would be released from Hamas captivity.
Hamas released 14 Israeli women and children and several foreign nationals held hostage in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the third day of a truce between Jerusalem and the Palestinian terror group.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that it had received the list of freed captives and that security officials had notified their families.
Hamas had not released any American citizens so far, but the White House was hopeful that at least one American would be freed on Sunday.
“We have reason to believe that at least one American held by Hamas. will be released today. We hope Abigail Edan will be released but we can’t know for sure until it happens,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC News on Sunday.
Abigail Mor Edan turned 4 in captivity on Friday after terrorists murdered her parents at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7.
Hamas confirmed on Sunday that it released an extra Israeli hostage with Russian citizenship.
The terrorist group said in a statement that the move comes “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause.”
Under the four-day ceasefire agreement, Hamas freed a first group of 13 Israelis on Friday, along with 11 foreign nationals, and a second group of 13 Israelis on Saturday, along with four foreign nationals.
Hamas was accused of violating the terms of the agreement to keep families together when 12-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani’s mother, Raya Rotem, was not among the Israeli hostages released on Saturday.
A total of 26 Israeli and 15 foreign abductees—14 Thais and one Filipino—returned to Israel on Friday and Saturday. There are believed to be around 180 abductees still in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday visited the citizens of Thailand and the Philippines who were released from Hamas captivity.
“We are committed to the return of all abductees, Israelis and foreigners alike,” he said.
“Israelis and foreign citizens alike shared a common fate in the face of a brutal enemy on that black Sabbath [of Oct. 7].
We are working with all parties to bring about the release of all captives in the hands of the Hamas terrorist organization, which still holds women, children and the elderly, as well as other foreign citizens,” Cohen said.
Cohen is expected to meet with his Thai counterpart later this week.
We are committed to the return of all the abductees, Israelis and foreigners alike!
Today, I visited the abducted Thai and the Philippine citizens who returned last night from Hamas captivity.
I promised that Israel would provide them with dedicated medical care, and they would… pic.twitter.com/Aym46VzZU2— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) November 25, 2023
Hamas terrorists kidnapped some 240 people during the terrorist organization’s murderous assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Under the terms of the deal, approved by the Israeli Cabinet last Wednesday, Hamas is to release 12 to 13 hostages each day of the truce.
The release of every additional 10 hostages will result in one additional day in the pause in combat, up to five days.
Under the agreement, the IDF is to refrain from using surveillance drones in Gaza for six hours each day of the ceasefire.
Israel will also allow fuel to enter the Strip during that time and dramatically increase the volume of goods permitted into the enclave.
Israel also agreed to commute the sentences of at least 150 female and teenage Palestinian security prisoners, or three terrorists for every hostage released.
On Friday, Jerusalem freed 39 Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails. Another 39 were released on Saturday, with another 39 scheduled for release on Sunday.
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