Israel at war: What happened on day 51?

Thirteen Israeli citizens taken hostage in Gaza were released by Palestinian terror group Hamas and brought back into Israel by the IDF, Israel confirmed on Sunday evening.

In addition, one Russian-Israeli was released as requested by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as three Thai citizens. The four were released via the Rafah crossing.

Hostages arrived in IDF custody and reentered Israel on Sunday evening. Elma Avraham was rushed to a hospital by helicopter upon reentry in serious condition, Israeli media reported. The remaining 12 freed hostages are arriving at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev for an initial medical assessment.

The list of released hostages included: Avigail Idan, three years old; the Brodutch family: Hagar (40), Ofri (10), Yuval (8) and Uriah (4); Ella and Dafna Elyakim, eight and 15 years old; the Almog-Goldstein family: Chen (48), Agam (17), Gal (11) and Tal (9); Elma Avraham, 84 years old; Aviva Siegel, 64 years old.

Roni Krivoy is the hostage who holds Russian citizenship, who was released thanks to direct intervention from Putin. He was welcomed back to Karmiel by Mayor Moshe Koninski, who said "The city of Karmiel welcomes Roni's release and rejoices together with his parents Oleg and Marina and brothers Yulia and Igor."

Israel's Mossad intelligence service is hosting its Qatari counterparts to confer on the recovery of hostages held by Hamas and other elements of a Gaza truce that was mediated by Doha, an Israeli security official said on Sunday.

Qatari intelligence officers arrived on Saturday for an indefinite stay in Israel, the official said, adding that cooperation between the agencies is "traditionally close", despite the lack of formal relations between the countries.

Qatar's international media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel's Interior Minister, Moshe Arbel, granted Israeli residency on Sunday to Molugata Tsagai, a native of Eritrea, who put his life in danger to save an injured IDF officer during Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7.

That morning, a group of Hamas terrorists in the process of invading the city of Sderot shot the officer, referred to only as Lt. Col 'Y,' who lost consciousness as he lay on the ground at the base of a ridge, bleeding from his stomach.

Minutes after he was shot, the officer regained consciousness and saw Tsagai leaning over him, stopping the bleeding and telling him, "I'm with you until the end." They stayed in that spot for two hours, as terrorists continually passed by and shot in all directions, until another citizen rescued the two in his car and took them to a hospital. 

Upon release from the hospital, Lt. Col Y asked to thank the person who saved his life. He appealed to the Minister of the Interior to help Tsagai settle his status in Israel. 

Arbel grants Tsagai residency as token of gratitude

Minister Arbel, moved by the story, granted Tsagai legal residency in Israel. "The seventh of October was a catastrophe that affected the whole country," Arbel said. "The least that can be done to show gratitude to someone who risked his life to save the life of an IDF officer is to grant him the opportunity to live here with dignity.

"Gratitude," Arbel said, "is the highest Jewish value."

The 13 hostages released yesterday, reunited with their family members in Israel on Saturday. 

Hugs, tears, and heartache

Members of the Avigdori family reunite at Sheba Hospital after over a month of separation, November 26, 2023. (credit: CHAIM TZACH/GPO)

The Avigdors are part of an extended family from Kibbutz Be'eri who had 10 members of the family kidnapped by Hamas to Gaza. Despite six family members, including all the children, being returned four family members remain in Gaza including all of the adult men taken captive.

Members of the Avigdori family reunite at Sheba Hospital after over a month of separation, November 26, 2023. (credit: CHAIM TZACH/GPO)

Hen Avigdori has been making passionate pleas for his family's release since they were taken, calling it "his mission".

Neveh (left) and Yahel (right) following their release from Hamas captivity, November 25, 2023. (credit: Courtesy)

Naveh and Yahel Shoham were free from Hamas captivity on Saturday, November 25 along with their mother Adi Shoham.

Yahel Shoham after being freed from Hamas captivity, November 25, 2023. (credit: Courtesy)

Maya's return is bittersweet, her younger brother Itay (18) remains captive in Gaza. Maya's call to her father where she told him "Dad they're shooting at me; I'm dead!" was symbolic of the helplessness many parents felt on receiving calls for help on October 7.

Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, who was abducted by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 attack on Israel, meets her father Thomas Hand after being released as part of a hostages-prisoners swap deal, November 26, 2023 (credit: Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

Emily Hand reunites with her father, she celebrated her ninth birthday in captivity; he had feared her killed in the initial attack.

Released hostage Elma Avraham, 84 years old, was returned from Hamas captivity in serious, life-threatening condition, Soroka Medical Center confirmed on Sunday night.

Elma was released along with 13 other Israeli and three Thai hostages on Sunday, on the third day of Israel's ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.

The 84-year-old was rushed to the Beersheba hospital via helicopter immediately upon her reentry into Israel on Sunday night.

84-year-old Alma Avraham, who was just released from Hamas captivity after 50 weeks, is the Israeli who is in serious medical condition & evacuated by helicopter directly to hospital in Israel.

Should anything, God forbid, happen to her, the blood will be on hands of Hamas! pic.twitter.com/EeDEGBSXHX

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) November 26, 2023

The hospital said it will give a statement later on Sunday night.

Palestinian terror group Hamas seeks to extend its truce with Israel beyond the initial four-day ceasefire period, it said in a statement on Sunday night.

It claimed it looked to increase the number of hostages it would release during the truce.

This is a developing story.

As of Sunday night, around 40 Israelis taken hostage by Hamas are due to have been released, with the third group being released Sunday night, with approximately three times as many Palestinian security prisoners being released in return – in addition to the temporary ceasefire between the sides.

But because the vast majority of the Palestinians being released are women or minors and all of the Israelis being released are women or minors, many in the global media have lost sight of the fact that the Palestinians have all been convicted or charged of violent crimes, many of terror crimes.

In addition, some of the Jewish minors are as young as babies and toddlers, whereas the youngest Palestinian due to be released as a teenager and most are above the age of 16.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi thanked Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Sunday for his work in mediating a truce for Gaza and the exchange of prisoners between Hamas and Israel.

"I look forward to more cooperation that can help meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and to establish a comprehensive peace in the region," Sisi said on social media.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday to discuss obstacles threatening Israel's truce with Hamas and ways to reach a comprehensive ceasefire, Egypt's foreign ministry said.

During the phone call, Shoukry stressed the need to build on the truce while implementing the United Nations Security Council resolution issued on Nov. 15 which calls for humanitarian pauses that can allow aid into Gaza, the ministry said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden pledged to work prevent the resumption of the Gaza war as he welcomed the completion of the third phase of the Gaza hostage deal by which 40 Israelis, one Filipino and 17 Thai citizens have been freed.

“We’ll work to extend the deal,” Biden told reporters during a brief press conference in Nantucket on Sunday.

“This deal is structured so it can be extended to keep building on these results. That is my goal, that is our goal, this pause going beyond tomorrow so that we can continue to see more hostages come out and surge more humanitarian relief into Gaza,” he said.

“This is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour approach,” he said.