Abigail Mor Edan is one of three American hostages that was set to be released by Hamas this last weekend, she turned four on Friday after being in Hamas custody since the attacks of October 7th. Abigail was among 17 hostages freed on the third day of the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.
Abigail was snatched by Hamas militants after fleeing her south Israel home where her father and mother, were murdered on Oct. 7. The toddler was reportedly in her father’s arms when he and her mother were shot and killed by Hamas. It’s reported that her siblings also witnessed their parents’ murder but escaped unharmed after hiding in a closet for over twelve hours.
Earlier in the week, the family began to hope; “The one thing that we all hold on to is that hope now that Abigail comes home, she comes home by Friday,” the toddler’s aunt Liz Hirsh Naftali told CNN Tuesday night.
The temporary cease-fire will end on Monday, the deal was brokered between the U.S., Qatar, Egypt and Israel.
The terms of the cease-fire include the expectation that Hamas will release at least 50 hostages in exchange for Israel releasing 150 Palestinians that were currently being held in their jails. Israel announced it would extend the cease-fire one day for every ten additional hostages that were returned.
