The four-day truce between Israel and Hamas moved through a precarious third day Sunday, with the Palestinian terror group releasing 17 more hostages, including 4-year-old American girl Avigail Idan, whose parents were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
President Biden confirmed that Avigail — the first American hostage to be released under the cease-fire’s terms — had been moved into Israeli custody, telling reporters that she was “safely ensconced in Israel” on Sunday afternoon.
“Thank God she’s home,” Mr. Biden said. “I wish I were there to hold her.”
The dramatic turn of events came amid mounting uncertainty over the future of the prisoner-swap deal that saw Israel free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday and was slated to feature a fourth exchange Monday, the final day of the cease-fire.
Under the deal, Israel agreed to swap a total of 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails for 50 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack. As of Sunday night, Israel had freed 117 Palestinians, while Hamas had released 43 hostages.
Unease swirled Sunday claims by Israeli officials that Hamas was blocking humanitarian aid flows into Gaza, the allowance of which was a key element of the truce and swap deal struck last week.
At the same time, tensions churned in the background, with Hamas announcing that one of its top commanders had been killed, without saying when or how.
Israel’s military confirmed the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of the Palestinian terror group’s operations in northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting.
There was also unease amid reports that attackers had seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the development followed two other recent maritime attacks that have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
With that as a backdrop, the prospect of a surge in fighting loomed once the temporary cease-fire is lifted Tuesday.
Israel declared war on Hamas after the Islamic militant group carried out a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage. An Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 13,300 people, according to health authorities.
International negotiators led by the U.S. and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire. Egypt, which borders Gaza to the south, was involved in mediating the exchange of prisoners through the weekend.
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Red Cross representatives transferred hostages out of Gaza late Sunday. Some were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt.
Before Sunday, Biden administration officials had said at least nine Americans were still missing after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. It was not clear whether any would be among the remaining hostages slated for release on Monday.
Avigail’s release was hailed in Washington. The girl, who turned four while in captivity, was taken hostage when Hamas terrorists stormed her kibbutz, Kfar Azza, and killed her parents.
She ran to a neighbor’s home for shelter, and the Brodutch family — mother Hagar and her three children — took Avigail in as the rampage raged. Then all five disappeared and were later confirmed to be captives. They were among the more than 200 people taken to Gaza in the attack that touched off the war.
The Associated Press reported that the Brodutch family was in the group, ranging in age from 4 to 84, released by Hamas on Sunday.
“They’ve endured a terrible ordeal,” Mr. Biden told reporters gathered on the Massachusetts island of Nantucket, where he celebrated Thanksgiving.
He described the hostage negotiations as a day-by-day, hour-by-hour process and said he would continue working until all hostages were free.
“Nothing is guaranteed and nothing is being taken for granted,” Mr. Biden said. “But the proof that this is working and worth pursuing further is in every smile and every grateful tear we see on the faces of those families who are finally getting back together again. The proof is little Avigail.”
The girl’s release came after Hamas had released two other groups of hostages Friday and Saturday, including 10 Thai nationals.
Buddhist-majority Thailand has been engaged in its own direct negotiations with Hamas representatives in Iran for the past month, networking also with officials from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and others.
“I’m so happy, I’m so glad, I can’t describe my feeling at all,” Thongkoon Onkaew told Reuters on Sunday after seeing her son among the Thai hostages that were released Saturday, alongside 13 Israelis and one Filipino.
“That’s my son! My son!” Ms. Thongkoon said when she saw Natthaporn Onkaew smiling along with several others in a van, in a photo circulated by Hamas.
• Washington Times special correspondent Richard S. Ehrlich in Bangkok, Thailand, contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.
• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.
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