Hamas release 17 hostages on third day of ceasefire

Seventeen more hostages have been released by Hamas from inside Gaza as part a truce deal with Israel, including a fouryear-old US-Israeli girl.

- CHRIS STEVENSON

US president Joe Biden said that what Abigail Edan, who turned four while being held captive, had "endured was unthinkable".

Abigail's parents were among the 1,200 people killed in the Hamas attack inside southern Israel on 7 October. Israel has responded with a ferocious aerial and ground assault on Hamas-controlled Gaza in which Palestinian health officials say around 14,000 people have been killed, with the current four-day ceasefire the first respite from the bombardment for residents.

Ella Mor, Abigail's aunt, said that the family are "very emotional" and that they wanted to say "thank you to the whole country for supporting, loving and embracing us and her".

The ceasefire was agreed to enable the release of at least 50 of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. This third group of hostages included 14 Israelis, Abigail among them, and three Thai nationals. The Israelis were: the Brodetz family - Hagar Brodetz (40), Ofri Brodetz (10), Yuval Brodetz (8) and Uriah Brodetz (4); the Goldstein-Almog family - Chen Goldstein Almog (48), Agam Goldstein Almog (17), Gal Goldstein Almog (11), Tal Goldstein Almog (8); and the Elykaim family: Dafna Elykaim (15) Ella Elykaim (8); Elma Avraham (84) and Aviva Adrian Siegel (62).

Ron Karibu, a 25-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen, was not released under the main truce deal, which involves women and children, but "in response to the efforts of Russian president Vladimir Putin", Hamas said.