On Oct. 7, she witnessed her dad and mom’ homicide, earlier than being kidnapped. On Friday, practically seven weeks later, she spent her fourth birthday whereas below captivity. And on Sunday, she was lastly freed, as one of many hostages Hamas launched below a cope with Israel.
Her identify is Avigail Idan. Avigail, whose identify has additionally been spelled “Abigail” in U.S. media stories, is a twin citizen of Israel and the USA, and was among the many roughly 240 folks, together with round 10 American citizens, taken as hostages by Hamas on Oct. 7.
After Avigail’s launch, a number of members of her household reacted with reduction. “We are blessed to give her lots of love and care and to help her build her life again,” Tal Idan, her aunt, wrote in a textual content message. “Feels like a miracle that came true,” she added.
Liz Hirsh Naftali and Noa Naftali, her great-aunt and cousin, mentioned in an announcement that they’d “hoped and prayed today would come,” thanking President Biden and the Qatari authorities, which helped dealer the cease-fire deal.
Avigail’s case has acquired large consideration, significantly in the USA, the place a number of of her kinfolk are based mostly in California. President Biden expressed reduction over the information of her launch on Sunday.
“Thank God she’s home,” Mr. Biden told reporters in Nantucket, Mass., on Sunday. “I wish I was there to hold her.”
Avigail’s dad and mom, Roy Idan, 43, and Smadar Idan, 38, had been fatally shot on the Kfar Aza kibbutz within the October assault. The household has said that Mr. Idan was holding Avigail in his arms when he was killed, whereas her siblings, Michael and Amelia, watched the tragedy unfold.
Coated in her father’s blood, Avigail ran towards a neighbor, her aunt, Tal Idan, said. The neighbor introduced Avigail into his residence to cover together with his spouse and kids after which left the home to discover a gun. “Ten minutes later, when he got back, all were gone,” Ms. Idan mentioned. Ms. Idan and her husband, Amit Idan, have been taking care of Avigail’s siblings, who survived the assault.
Whereas a number of hostages have been reunited with their family members within the three days for the reason that cease-fire started, many households are nonetheless ready for information about their kinfolk who stay in captivity.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, a U.S. citizen, is likely one of the folks nonetheless being held by Hamas. Mr. Goldberg-Polin, who was born in Berkeley, Calif., was at a music pageant close to the Gaza border in southern Israel when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Members of his household believe he is in desperate need of medical consideration as a result of a part of his arm was blown off by a grenade the assailants threw earlier than abducting him.
On Sunday, his father, Jon Polin, was anxiously awaiting information relating to his son. However he mentioned he was “thrilled” for each hostage who has been launched to this point and for his or her households.
“We hostage families have found ourselves kind of becoming another form of a family,” he mentioned. “So it really is personal, even though I don’t know the hostages themselves, other than my son.”
“I’m really happy that they’re being reunited with their loved ones,” Mr. Polin added. “That being said, I want my son home and I want all of the hostages home.”
