21 images of the release and emotional reunions of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners

Freed hostages and prisoners have been reunited with their families in emotional scenes in Israel and the West Bank. Hamas released a further 17 hostages on Sunday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hangari said on X. Israel responded by handing over 39 Palestinian prisoners. It follows the release of 41 hostages over Friday and Saturday.

  • Over three days, Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas during its October 7 terror attack were released.
  • Hamas agreed to release 50 Israelis in exchange for the release 150 Palestinians prisoners in Israel.
  • Dozens of hostages and prisoners have meet with their families — see their emotional reunions.

Freed hostages and prisoners have been reunited with their families in emotional scenes in Israel and the West Bank.

Hamas released a further 17 hostages on Sunday, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hangari said on X. Israel responded by handing over 39 Palestinian prisoners. It follows the release of 41 hostages over Friday and Saturday.

Israeli authorities confirmed this morning they had released 39 Palestinian prisoners on Friday, including women and minors, the Guardian reported.

Hamas agreed to release 50 Israelis in exchange for Israel releasing 150 Palestinians under the terms of the four-day cease-fire.

Doron Katz-Asher, 34, and her two daughters Raz and Aviv

Doron and Yoni Katz-Asher and their two daughters, Raz and Aviv, are reunited as a family. Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson / AP

Doron Katz-Asher, a 34-year-old accountant, and her two daughters were reunited with their husband and father, Yoni, on Friday.

The three were kidnapped while visiting relatives in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The family lives in Ganot Hadar, north of Tel Aviv.

Doron's mother, Efrat Katz, was killed on 7 October. Efrat's partner, Gadi Mozes, was kidnapped with his ex-wife Margalit Mozes, who was also released Friday. Gadi remains in captivity.

Raz Katz-Asher, 4, and Aviv Katz-Asher, 2

Yoni Katz-Asher hugs his two daughters after they were released from Gaza on Friday. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE / Reuters

Raz Katz-Ahser, 4, and Aviv Katz-Asher, 2, were kidnapped while visiting their grandmother in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Their father, Yoni, has become a key figure in the movement to free the hostages held in Gaza.

"From today, the families of the hostages are my new family, and I will do everything to ensure the last hostage returns home safely," per The Wall Street Journal.

Ohad Munder, 9, and his mother, Keren Munder, 54

Ohad Munder, 9, is reunited with his family Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson / Reuters

Ohad Munder, who turned nine while being held hostage, was kidnapped alongside his mother, Keren, 54.

The family was visiting Ohad's grandmother in Kibbutz Nir Oz. They had traveled from their home in Kfar Saba, where Keren teaches children with special needs.

Avraham, Ohad's grandfather, remains in Gaza.

Ruti Munder, 78

Ruti Munder ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE / Reuters

Ruti Munder was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz with her daughter and grandson. She is a retired librarian and tailor.

Ruti says that her son Roy had been killed during the Hamas attacks while listening to the radio. Her husband remains in Gaza.

Danielle Aloni, 45, and her daughter, Emilia, 5

Five year-old Amelia Aloni and her mother Daniel meet family members at the Schneider Children's Medical Center. Schneider Children's Medical Center Spokesperson / Reuters

Five-year-old Emelia Aloni and her mother, Danielle, 45, were visiting Danielle's sister, Sharon Aloni-Cunio, in Nir Oz. All of their extended family was kidnapped on October 7.

Danielle was one of the three women to appear in a hostage video released by Hamas in late October.

Danielle's sister, Sharon Aloni-Cunio, her husband, and their 3-year-old twin daughters are still in Gaza.

Margalit Mozes, 77

Margalit Mozes is greeted by an Israeli soldier after arriving in Israel. IDF / AP

Margalit Mozes was a resident of Kibbutz Nir Ozis, where she was kidnapped from her home. She is a cancer survivor and has other health problems, like diabetes and fibromyalgia, that require medical care.

She has been described as a lover of nature, birds, and mountain climbing.

Margalit is the ex-wife of Efrat Katz, who is still in captivity. Efrat's daughter and two granddaughters were released with Margalit on Friday

Adina Moshe, 72

Adina Moshe HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM / Reuters

Adina Moshe was dragged through the window of her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and taken on the back of a motorbike to Gaza. Hamas fighters murdered her husband, Sa'id Moshe, in front of her.

Moshe told The Times of Israel that when Hamas militants came to lead them out of the tunnel they were being kept in the hostages feared they were about to be executed.

She has four children and several grandchildren.

Yaffa Adar, 85

Yafa Adar HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM / Reuters

Yaffa Adar, a Holocaust survivor, was one of the first 13 hostages released from Gaza after 49 days in Hamas's captivity.

The great-grandmother was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on a golf cart on October 7 and has now been reunited with her family.

Her grandson Tamir Adar, 38, remains in captivity

Hanna / Channa Katzir, 76

Hanna Katzir HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM / Reuters

Hannah Katzir, 77, learned that her husband Rami was murdered and that her son Elad was abducted into Gaza on October 7 only after she was released from captivity, per The Times of Israel.

Hannah / Channa Peri, 79

Channa Peri HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM / Reuters

Channa Peri, a mother of three, immigrated to Israel from South Africa in the 1960s.

One of her sons, Roey, was killed on 7 October. Her other son remains in captivity in Gaza.

She used to work in a grocery store and enjoys gardening, Tai Chi, and looking after her pet cat.

The ten Thai workers who were taken hostage

Thai workers taken hostage by Hamas pose with a member of Thai mission after a medical checkup in Tel Aviv, Israel. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAILAND / Reuters

In addition to the 13 Israelis, ten Thai nationals and one Filipino have been released as part of a separate deal. Thailand's foreign minister had traveled to Qatar on October 31 to negotiate with Hamas.

Among them is Vetoon Phoone, 33, who has been living in Israel for five years working on a farm.

The nine other workers are Nattawaree Mulkan, Santi Bunphrom, Bunthom Pankhong, Mongkol Phajuabbun, Vichai Kalapat, Bancha Kongmani, Buddi Sengbun, Uthai Thunsri, and Uthai Sengnual.

The missing workers come from about 30,000 Thai nationals working in Israel, mainly in agriculture.

Natthawaree Mulkan

Natthawaree Mulkan, right, one of the Thai workers taken hostage by Hamas. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS THAILAND / Reuters

Nattawaree Mulkan was one the only female Thai worker taken hostage by Hamas.

Her mother said that she danced with joy when she saw that her daughter had been released.

Israa Jaabis, 38

Israa Jaabis hugs a family member in Jerusalem. Latifeh Abdellatif/Reuters

Israa Jaabis was one of the 39 Palestinian prisoners released on Friday. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2011 when her car burst into flames near a checkpoint in the West Bank, the BBC reported.

Shuruq Dwayat

Shuruq Dwayat is hugged by a family member in east Jersulam. Mahmoud Illean/AP

Aseel al-Titi, 23

Aseel al-Titi was greeted by friends and family at Balata refugee camp in the West Bank. Majdi Mohammed/AP

Aseel al-Titi was arrested while visiting her brother Sabea in prison a year and three months ago, the The Washington Post reported.

Raghad Fan

Raghad Fan (right) greets family in Baytunia, the West Bank. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Raghad Fan a Palestinian prisoner was greeted by her family on her release, in Baytunia in the occupied West Bank.

Hanin Barghouti

Hanin Barghouti speaking to crowds after her release from prison. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Hanan al Barghouti, 58, released after two months in Israeli jail, praised Hamas, its leader, and the people of Gaza, TRT reported.

"May God reward them well on our behalf," she said. "If it were not for the people of Gaza, we would not have seen freedom. We were inside the prison, eating bitterness. They were sadists. They insulted us and humiliated us, but our pride is high and our dignity is elevated, thanks to the resistance."

Released Palestinian prisoners, names unknown

Released Palestinian prisoners in a Red Cross bus in the West Bank. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images

Emily Hand, 9

9-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand is greeted by her dad The Israeli Army/AP

Irish-Israeli Emily Hand was released from Gaza on Saturday evening. She was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7. Her dad, pictured, told The Sunday Times of London he feared she would be "terrorized every day."

"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," Emily's family said in a statement reported in The Sunday Times.

Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13

Hila Rotem Shoshani was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri during the Hamas attack on October 7 along with her mother, Raaya Rotem, 54, who was not released with Shoshani.

Unnamed Thai hostages

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen talks to one of the freed Thai hostages at the Shamir Medical Center in Israel. Thailand's Foreign Ministry via AP

A further four Thai nationals were released in the second hostage-prisoner exchange, NBC News reported.

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