13 Israeli hostages have returned to Israel

 

The release of the third group of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity is underway.

The Prime Minister's office has confirmed that 13 Israeli citizens who were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th have returned to Israel.

According to the IDF, Red Cross representatives transferred 12 hostages over to IDF special forces and ISA forces adjacent to the border fence in the central Gaza Strip. From there, they made their way to the Hatzerim Base.

An additional released hostage who returned to Israel, 84-year-old Elma Avraham, is in serious condition and was evacuated via a helicopter directly to a hospital.

In parallel, four released hostages were transferred over to Egypt through the Rafah Crossing, from which they will make their way to the meeting point with IDF soldiers in Israeli territory.

The families of the hostages are being updated by IDF representatives with the latest available information.

The hostages are:

Hagar Brodutch: 39 years old, a sensitive and patient soul brimming with a captivating sense of humor. A true rock music fan who grew up in Kibbutz Gvulot nine years ago, she moved with her husband, who works in agriculture, to live in Kfar Aza. She works as the community manager for Kibbutz Magen. In her free time, she loves drinking good coffee, going camping, traveling around Israel with her family and children, and listening to rock music.
Most of all, Hagar is a devoted mother to Ofri (10), Yuval (8), and Uriah (4) who were kidnapped from their home in Kfar Aza kibbutz along with her. Her husband Avihai eagerly awaits being reunited with his family.

Ofri Brodutch: 10 years old, her birthday is on October 8th, the day after Black Saturday.
Ofri is a musical girl, plays guitar, and is a fan of John Lennon, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Elton John. She also enjoys rollerblading.
Plays on the Kfar Aza soccer team and never misses any youth movement activity, hike, or party. Ofri is the center of the family, bringing everyone together with her smile and personal charm. A curious, sensitive girl who embraces everyone.
Was kidnapped from her home together with her two brothers, Yuval (8) and Uriah (4.5), and together with their mother, Hagar.

Yuval Brodutch: 8 years old, a smart and inquisitive boy who loves investigating everything around him. An excellent soccer player and fan of the Hapoel Be'er Sheva Football Club, he loves Lego and playing Xbox with his older brother.
Yuval is a sensitive child with a delicate soul, if his siblings get hurt, he worries sick about them. He has a captivating smile, loves people, and his words touch everyone.
Admires singers Micha Shitrit and David Bowie, and knows all their songs by heart.
Was kidnapped from his home together with his two siblings, Ofri (10) and Uriah (4.5), and together with their mother, Hagar.

Uriah Brodutch: 4.5 years old, a happy, energetic boy who loves making a mess, playing soccer, and playing Xbox with his older brother Yuval.
Uriah is a fan of the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club and loves playing with toy tractors in the garden and playing soccer. A handsome boy with a stubborn streak, he will always have both the first and last word at home.
Was kidnapped from his home together with his two siblings, Ofri (10) and Yuval (8), and together with their mother, Hagar.

Avigail Idan: 4 years old, celebrated her birthday while in captivity.
Kidnapped from Kfar Aza kibbutz, along with the Brodutch family who live nearby.
Her parents were murdered, and her two older brothers hid in a closet and survived. She managed to escape from the home and was found by Avihai Brodutch, who took her to his house, where she was kidnapped, along with his family. Against her will, Avigail has become the symbol of this war and the hostage crisis, and all of Israel and the world welcome her safe return.

Chen Goldstein-Almog: 48-year-old social worker.
Chen is surrounded by many friends and loves nothing more than being at home in her private corner. She loves working out and running and is the definition of a Wonder Woman.
Chen and her late husband Nadav's motto has always been never to leave their home in kibbutz Kfar Aza. Chen and Nadav met already in high school at Sha'ar HaNegev and have been together since age 14.
Nadav and their eldest daughter Yam were murdered. Chen was kidnapped along with her three other children.

Agam Goldstein Almog: 17 years old, will celebrate her 18th birthday in January.
She’s a 12th-grade student at Sha'ar HaNegev High School. A beautiful girl with a huge heart who spreads lots of positivity everywhere. Agam loves to work - she babysits and works in the educational system of Kfar Aza kibbutz, where she lives. She’s an outstanding student who loves studying literature and philosophy.
Kidnapped from her home with her mother and two young brothers. Her father, Nadav, and her older sister, Yam, were murdered.

Gal Goldstein Almog: 11 years old, a sweet, beautiful, and very smart boy.
Gal plays soccer and basketball, is a huge sports fan, and knows players and stats both in Israel and global sports. Gal has a huge heart, and his friends are like brothers to him. He loves his grandmother Vered's schnitzels, who promises she is just waiting to make them for him again. Kidnapped from his home in Kfar Aza kibbutz, along with his mother and two of his brothers. His father, Nadav, and his older sister, Yam, were murdered.

Tal Goldstein Almog: 8 years old, will celebrate his 9th birthday in about a month.
He plays basketball, loves drawing cartoons, and has a really good sense of humor.
He is very smart and studies twice a week in a gifted student's class.
Despite his youth, Tal shows a remarkably adept understanding of complex situations and nuances of human emotion. Kidnapped from his home in Kfar Aza kibbutz, along with his mother and two of his brothers. His father, Nadav, and his older sister, Yam, were murdered.

Aviva Siegel: 62 years old, an amazing mom, and a wonderful grandmother.
Aviva is a people-loving woman who especially loves children.
Her entire life she has worked as an adored and devoted kindergarten teacher. She’s also a pillar of her family. Aviva brings laughter and lightness everywhere she goes. She enjoys hiking, baking, cooking, and especially spoiling her children and grandchildren.
Kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza along with her partner, Keith.

Dafna Elyakim: 15 years old, a happy and joyful girl constantly surrounded by friends all hours of the day. Dafna loves singing and loves people. When she’s not spending time with her best friends, she enjoys making TikTok videos.
Dafna draws beautifully and is talented in everything related to arts and crafts.
Kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with her sister Ela.

Ela Elyakim: 8 years old, a kindhearted and funny girl, strong, and who always knows what she wants. From the moment she learned to stand and walk, she hasn’t stopped dancing. She is a gifted painter, talented and creative. She was named Ela because the ‘Ela’ tree is a sturdy and impressive tree every day of the year, just like her.
Kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with her sister Dafna.

In contrast to the last two groups, the hostages were met by the Red Cross representatives in the northern Gaza Strip, and they will not travel the long journey to the Rafah Crossing with Egypt but will cross directly into Israel. According to Arab media, they will enter through the Karni Crossing.

Elma Avraham: 84 years old, was taken in serious condition by an IDF helicopter directly from the Gaza Strip to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.

The Qatari Prime Minister claimed in an interview with CBS that one of the released hostages is expected to be the young girl Avigail Idan.

Earlier in the day, Hamas announced the release of an Israeli-Russian citizen as a response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin and as a sign of appreciation for Moscow's stance on its war with Israel.