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- Amelia Aloni was held by Hamas, along with her mother Daniela, for 49 days
- She was finally released last week as part of the deal for the temporary ceasefire
- The five-year-old reunited with her classmates for the first time today
This is the moment a five-year-old girl held hostage by Hamas was reunited with her classmates on her first day back to school.
Amelia Aloni was held by Hamas, along with her mother Daniela, for weeks as hostages following the terror group’s incursion into Israel on October 7.
She and Daniela were kidnapped from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, less than two miles from the border with Gaza, and were held underground for 49 days, only getting released last week as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The young girl returned to her school today, and was seen in video footage smiling gleefully as staff came to welcome her back.
One staff member welcomed her back with a hug, before she ran into the arms of her friends.
Amelia Aloni (pictured) had a huge grin on her face in the moments before she went back to school for the first time in eight weeks
One staff member at her school welcomed the five-year-old back with a big hug
Amelia and her mother were released last week as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas
Four other young girls ran out of the school building to hug her at the entrance to the school, before even more of her classmates came out to greet her.
Despite the warm greeting, the last two months have been harrowing for Amelia and her mother.
Daniela was made to write a propagandistic letter to the outside world by Hamas, who made her praise the terror group that snatched her and her daughter and took them into Gaza.
The letter reads: ‘I sincerely thank you from the depths of my heart for your extraordinary humanity shown towards my daughter.
‘You’ve treated her like parents, inviting her to your rooms, making her feel that you’re not just friends, but true caring loved ones.’
She praised the terrorists for their ‘extraordinary humanity’ towards her daughter.
Danielle Aloni, who was a hostage of Hamas along with her 5-year-old daughter Emilia, was reportedly made to write a propagandistic letter to her family
‘Kids shouldn’t be in prison, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way… My daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza,’ she supposedly added.
Her family later warned people not to believe the letter. One of her cousins wrote: ‘I know many out there will try to use this in Hamas’ defense. Don’t believe them!’
Daniela later said in an interview shortly after she was released: ‘Our girl saw things that children at this age or any age should not see.
‘It was a horror movie.’
More than 100 hostages were released last week as part of a temporary ceasefire deal negotiated between Hamas and Israel.
The first group of 13 hostages were released on November 24, after Hamas and Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Israel has so far killed at least 15,000 of its civilians in Gaza, according to figures deemed trustworthy by the UN
Israel said Hamas refused to produce a list of ten hostages before the deadline
Israel’s military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip
The IDF called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory’s Hamas rulers
They also agreed to free women and children held behind enemy lines, with Hamas initially agreeing to free 50 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 150 Palestinians from jail.
The deal was open-ended, and allowed for more days of ceasefire in exchange for more prisoners and hostages being released.
Hamas, desperate for a brief respite from the war that has so far killed at least 15,000 of its civilians in Gaza, according to figures deemed trustworthy by the UN, made the most of the extensions, releasing a total of 105 hostages.
But the deal was not extended past a week, which Israel said was because Hamas refused to produce a list of ten hostages before the deadline.
An unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel that they believe ‘Hamas is lying about the number of women in their possession.’
The exact number and identities of the people still held by Hamas is not currently known.
Israel’s military is currently pushing deeper into the south of the Gaza Strip, after it called on Gazans to flee the enclave in its pursuit to wipe out the territory’s Hamas rulers.
The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents,
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded
Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants
The war has already killed more than 15,000 Palestinians and displaced over three-fourths of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are running out of safe places to go.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since October 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded.
While the ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, it said 70% of the dead were women and children.
Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt, which mediated last week’s ceasefire, say they are working on a longer truce.
But hopes for another temporary truce faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend.
Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on October 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire.