A 4-YEAR-OLD American hostage has been reunited with her family seven weeks after her parents were killed during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
The emotional reunion showed the moment Abigail Edan was embraced by her aunt and grandmother at the Hatzerim Air Force Base in Israel after two months in captivity by Hamas.
Pictures show little Abigail hoisted in her aunt Liorn's arms as her emotional grandmother, Shlomit, stands beside them.
Abigail, a dual Israeli-American citizen, celebrated her fourth birthday in captivity on Friday.
"We are blessed to give her lots of love and care and to help her build her life again," her aunt Tal Idan told The New York Times in a text message.
"Feels like a miracle that came true."
The 4-year-old was released by Hamas on Sunday evening, nearly two months after both her parents, Roy Edan, 43, and Smadar Edan, 38, were killed on October 7 when the militant group launched an attack against Israel.
Family members said Roy was holding his daughter in his arms when he was killed.
Abigail's siblings, Michael, 9, and Amelia, 6, survived the attacks, family members previously told The New York Times.
President Joe Biden confirmed the girl's release Sunday afternoon, saying she was in the hands of Red Cross officials.
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"She's free, and she's in Israel," Biden said. "What she endured was unthinkable."
Abigail's release, along with the release of 17 others, came during a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – where the parties agreed to exchange Israeli civilian hostages for Palestinians kept in Israeli prisons.
In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were among those released, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Meanwhile, Israel's prison service confirmed the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners.
The Palestinian prisoners released were children and young men ages 15-19.
The fourth exchange is expected on Monday, during which Hamas agreed to release 50 hostages – mainly women and children – and Israel would release 150 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons.
Approximately 240 people, including about 10 Americans, were taken to Gaza as hostages by Hamas, according to Israeli officials.
The ceasefire is the longest break in fighting in Gaza since October 7, when gunmen from Hamas and other militant groups launched a direct attack on south Israel, killing about 1,200 people, Israeli officials said.
Israel's military retaliation in response to the Hamas-led attack resulted in the deal of more than 13,000 Gazans, according to Gazan health officials.
The four-day truce, which was expected to end on Monday, was extended for two more days, Qatari officials, who helped negotiate the initial ceasefire, said.
Hamas said the two-day extension would carry the same terms as the initial pause.
The Israeli government has not immediately commented on the extension.
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