LITTLE ORPHANED ABIGAIL IS FINALLY FREED

American girl, 4, is FREED by Hamas six weeks after she was abducted during October 7 massacre during which her parents were among those murdered

Abigail Mor Edan was released today, marking the first American to be set free since the Hamas-Israel truce began

 

By Mackenzie Tatananni  

 

Daily Mail

Nov 26, 2023

 

Four-year-old Abigail Mor Edan was released Sunday after 49 days in captivity

 

Abigail Mor Edan, a 4-year-old American-Israeli citizen, has been released by Hamas, marking the first time U.S. citizens have been set free since the truce with Israel began.

Edan is one of 17 hostages released Sunday, 49 days after the war broke out and militants stormed her kibbutz in southern Israel.

Fighters gunned down her parents, Roy Edan, 43 and Smadar Edan, 40, in the attack.

The girl's siblings, aged 10 and six, survived after hiding out for hours in the family home.

Edan, who celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity, is now in the hands of Red Cross officials. President Biden saying after her release that what the youngster has endured is 'unthinkable' and that she's suffered a 'terrible trauma' 

Biden added: 'I wish I were there to hold her.

'Today she's free, and Jilly and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright.' 

 

The little girl's parents, 43-year-old Roy Edan and 40-year-old Smadar Edan, were gunned down when Hamas militants stormed their kibbutz in southern Israel

The four-year-old was taken and her two young siblings survived after hiding out for hours in the family home

President Biden made a statement about Abigail's release from Nantucket Sunday afternoon, saying the youngster had endured a terrible 'trauma' and 'unspeakable' heartbreak 

 

The terror group has been keeping captives since its October 7 surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. Over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counteroffensive.

State Department officials have yet to release the names of the other American hostages. A total of 10 Americans are currently unaccounted for.

Of the 17 hostages released Sunday, 14 were Israeli, while three were foreign citizens.

Appearing on ABC’s 'This Week,' National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said two women, one child and seven men were confirmed to have been taken by Hamas.

'All of these hostages have been through a terrible ordeal, and this is the beginning of a long journey of healing for them,' President Joe Biden said in an address from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was celebrating Thanksgiving.

Earlier that day, the president was briefed multiple times by his national security team on the latest developments regarding the hostage release from Gaza.

'This morning I've been engaged with my team as we begin the first difficult days of implementing this deal,' Biden said. 'It's only a start but so far it's gone well.'

He noted how the first group of hostages included 'an elderly woman, a grandmother and mothers with their young children, some under the age of six years old.' 

 

Edan celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity on November 24

Hostages were set free over Friday and Saturday, but Sunday marked the first time an o Americans was released

A four-day truce began after 48 days of fighting that claimed thousands of lives. The most recent group to be released included 13 Israelis

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were let go last month 

 

On Saturday, a disagreement over the delivery of aid to Gaza delayed the release of captives by several hours.

The Al-Qassam Brigades militant wing accused Israel of violating the agreed terms and demanded Israel commit to allowing aid trucks to enter northern Gaza for the first time in over a month.

The UN estimates that 1.7 million of the 2.3 million people living in Gaza have been displaced by the war. 

So far, 58 captives have been freed in the first three days of the truce, including several children. 

Thirteen Israeli civilians were let go along with 11 foreign nationals on Friday, followed by another 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals on Saturday.

This number does not include those released before the truce began. Two Americans, an Illinois mother and daughter, were freed last month.

Judith and Natalie Raanan, who have dual American-Israeli citizenship, were kidnapped from Nahal Oz together.

They were handed over to the Red Cross on October 20 before the organization passed them off to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his government to accept a deal for Hamas to free hostages in exchange for a multi-day truce.

A U.S. official said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners.

It took effect Friday, a day later than planned, and saw the adversaries agree to a four-day halt in the fighting. The deal was brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt.