Babies and children are on a list of hostages hoped will be released as part of a tentative ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Last night on Israeli TV, a reporter for Israeli news Channel 12 read out a list of the 50 hostages, predominantly women, and children, who are hoped to be released by Hamas over the next four days following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the terror group announced last night.
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Some of the children abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7
Nine-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand and nine-month-old Kfir Bibas, the youngest being held captive by the terror group, are on the list, as well as twins Emma and Yulie Cunio, 3, sisters Dafna, 15, and Ela Elyakim, 8, and Ofir Engel, who turned 18 in captivity.
The father of Emily Hand, who holds Irish and Israeli citizenship, spoke in a moving press conference at the Israeli embassy earlier this week amid reports that the Irish government is pushing for her release, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar saying her release was a “major priority."
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Some of the children abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7
In the early hours of Wednesday - Israel's war cabinet approved a deal with the Hamas terrorist group to release up to 50 hostages in exchange for a four-day ceasefire and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners, some guilty of terrorism, shortly before 3 am on Wednesday morning.
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Clockwise from top left: Noam Avigdori, 12; Noga Weiss, 18; Ofir Engel, turned 18 in captivity; Ofri Brodutch, 10; Or Yaakov, 16; Tal Goldstein-Almog, 9; Yuval Brodutch, 8; Yuval Engel, 11
Foreign minister Eli Cohen told the IDF's Galatz radio that the process of transferring hostages from Gaza to Israel will begin tomorrow, though he did not specify what time. The hostages will likely be released in groups, with Hamas having agreed to release 12 to 13 hostages each day in exchange for 150 to 300 female and teenage Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Israeli officials have cautioned that while these names are on Israel's list, their safety is not guaranteed, and it is not known if all are being held by Hamas or how many are still alive after nearly six weeks in Gaza.
The full list of child hostages believed to be held in Gaza:
Emily Hand, 9
Hila Rotem-Shoshani, 13
Yahel Korngold, 3
Yagil Yaakov, 13
Kfir Bibas, 9 months
Sahar Kalderon, 16
Liri Albag, 18
Mia Leimberg, 17
Nave Shoham, 8
Noam Avigdori, 12
Noga Weiss, 18
Ofir Engel, turned 18 in captivity
Ofri Brodutch, 10
Uriya Brodetz, 5
Or Yaakov, 16
Tal Goldstein-Almog, 9
Yuval Brodetz, 8
Yuval Engel, 11
Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17
Ariel Kfir, 4
Avigail Idan, 3
Alma Or, 13
Aviv Katz Asher, 2
Emilia Aloni, 5
Dafna Eyakim, 15
Amit Shani, 16
Raz Katz, 4
Noam Or, 17
Eitan Yaholomi, 12
Ella Elyakim, 8
Emma Cunio, 3 and her twin, Yulie, both 3
Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11
Erez Kalderon, 12
Mika Engel, 18
Liam Or, 18
Aisha al-Zayadna, 17
Gali Tarshansky, 13
Ohad Mundar, 8
