Politics These hostages kidnapped from Israel should be released

SDA

30.1.2025 - 04:36

At the entrance to a tent, a man places a photo of Arbel Yehud next to a Hebrew banner demanding the return of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video recording of the German-Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud on 27 January. She is due to be released on Thursday. Photo: Mahmoud illean/AP/dpa
At the entrance to a tent, a man places a photo of Arbel Yehud next to a Hebrew banner demanding the return of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video recording of the German-Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud on 27 January. She is due to be released on Thursday. Photo: Mahmoud illean/AP/dpa
Keystone

More people kidnapped from Israel are released from their hostage situation in the Gaza Strip.

Keystone-SDA

Israel and Hamas recently reached an agreement, mediated by Qatar, on the release of three Israeli hostages out of turn and on other points. Previously, both parties to the conflict had accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

As Hamas had not released an Israeli-German civilian last Saturday as agreed, Israel's army temporarily blocked the return of Gaza residents displaced to the south to the north of the territory. Following the agreement between Israel and Hamas, people have now been allowed to move to the north of the Gaza Strip for several days.

According to Israeli reports, in addition to the three Israeli hostages, five Thai workers kidnapped from Israel will also be released. Their names will only be announced after their release.

In return for the three Israeli hostages, Israel is releasing more than 100 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

These are the three abductees:

Arbel Yehud

As a civilian, 29-year-old German-Israeli Arbel Yehud was actually supposed to be part of the second group of hostages released last Saturday. The young woman is not being held by Hamas, but by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), according to sources within the terrorist organization. Israeli media speculated that this was the reason why she was not released immediately. The organization also published a video of the young woman a few days ago.

Yehud and her boyfriend were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Her partner is still being held hostage in the Gaza Strip. The woman's brother, who also lived in the village near the Gaza Strip, was killed during the terrorist attack. The terrorists also shot the couple's dog.

According to reports, the young woman was interested in astronomy. She reportedly worked as an instructor on the subject in a regional administration in the south of the country.

Her father repeatedly expressed his great concern to the media that the German-Israeli woman could have been tortured or sexually abused. The man had also expressed his disappointment in Israeli media about Germany's role in the efforts to secure the hostage's release. He accused Germany of failing to act.

In a statement distributed by the Forum of Hostage Families a few days before their announced release, their parents said that the family was experiencing difficult and nerve-wracking days. "We are longing for the moment when we can hold our Arbel in our arms again."

Gadi Moses

80-year-old Gadi Moses also reportedly has German citizenship. He lived in the Nir Oz kibbutz. He is an agronomist and used his agricultural expertise to help with the vineyards and vegetable garden in his home village near the border with the Gaza Strip, according to the Hostage Relatives Forum. His family describes him as a devoted father and loving grandfather. He reportedly has three children and twelve grandchildren.

Moses was kidnapped from the kibbutz during the Hamas massacre and his partner was killed in an exchange of fire between terrorists and the Israeli army.

According to Israeli media, the 80-year-old was committed to peaceful coexistence with the Palestinians. Terrorists severely vandalized his kibbutz Nir Oz. They killed or kidnapped a quarter of the village's inhabitants.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) published a video of Moses in December 2023. Relatives told Israeli media at the time that he did not look good in it.

Agam Berger

Agam Berger is a female soldier who was abducted from a military base in Nahal Oz along with the four Israeli army scouts released last Saturday. The 20-year-old was the only one of the group to remain in the Gaza Strip for the time being. The Israeli government announced a few days ago that Berger and Yehud would also be released on Thursday.

Footage of her abduction shows the soldier covered in blood and dressed only in pyjamas. A recording of the terrorists' disturbing bodycam footage was released, but it did not show scenes of serious violence.

In her last phone call before the kidnapping, Berger, who has played the violin for many years, reportedly told her mother that terrorists were shooting at her and everyone was crying, but that she was not afraid.

The parents only received their first sign of life from their captivity in the Gaza Strip almost two months later. An abducted woman who had been released in November 2023 was supposed to call her father shortly after her return in Berger's name to wish him a happy birthday.

The former hostage also told Berger's parents that their daughter was praying a lot, but was also hungry. The woman also told the soldier's parents about moments of crisis during Berger's time as a hostage. Women released from captivity also told Israeli media that the 20-year-old had braided their hair before returning to Israel and had been a source of support for other abductees.

According to Israeli reports, 15 female scouts were killed and seven kidnapped in the unprecedented attack on the military base. One of the women was rescued from the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces after 23 days, another was killed in captivity. Her body was recovered by the army from the Gaza Strip. Hamas released four of the female soldiers last Saturday.