TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: Around 50 captives, including three Americans, may be released by Palestinian militant group Hamas as part of a peace arrangement with Israel.
Top US authorities informed CNN that 10 Americans are considered to be held captive in Gaza by Hamas following the group's attack on the Jewish state on October 7, including two women and a 3-year-old girl, Abigail Mor Idan.
Abigail is now anticipated to be among the 50 captives who will be freed following the tenuous agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Abigail managed to flee to a neighbor's house, but her father Roy Edan, a 43-year-old photojournalist, and his wife Smadar Edan, 40, were killed.
While Abigail was abducted, her six-year-old sister and 10-year-old brother, managed to survive by hiding for 14 hours.
Abigail Mor Idan's great aunt hopes 'to see Abigail come out'
With Hamas agreeing to release 50 women and children in exchange for an interim cease-fire in Gaza and Israel releasing an undisclosed number of Palestinian detainees, all of whom are women and children, the three hostages may soon be free.
Elizabeth Naftali, Abigail's great aunt who resides in Los Angeles, stated that the family is hoping the deal is honored and the young girl is released.
"The one thing that we all hold on to is that hope now that Abigail comes home, she comes home by Friday," Naftali told CNN on Tuesday night.
"Friday is her 4th birthday. We need to see Abigail come out and then we will be able to believe it," she added.
Naftali went on to say, "We spent all day today, and we watched the news and we are still at this place where we haven't seen, we don't know any details about any of our hostages."
"And so, I hope that starting tomorrow, we will start to learn more about the hostages and we will start to see children, women, be the first group that is released."
Abigail Mor Idan was made an orphan by Hamas militants
The Palestinian militant group invaded Abigail's home on Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, leaving her and her siblings orphaned. It is said that Abigail was in her father's arms when Hamas members shot and killed her parents.
According to Abigail's aunt Naftali, who spoke with NBC News, the 3-year-old toddler crawled out "from under her father’s body… full of his blood" and was later abducted by Hamas.
She claimed that her siblings, who saw their parents getting killed, managed to escape unharmed by spending 14 hours hidden in a closet.
Internet users pray for the return of 3-year-old Abigail
Netizens were quick to respond to the news of 3-year-old Abigail's homecoming, with Internet users taking to social media platforms to express their opinions.
One such user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "It won’t be a happy Thanksgiving for the U.S. citizens held by Hamas, including 3-yr-old Abigail Mor Idan. It won’t be a Happy Thanksgiving for so many of us Jews here listening to the river-to-sea chants outside our windows."
A second one wrote, "I’m glad she will come home and not have to spend any more time tortured by the Hamas human excrement that murdered her father."
"Thank goodness. Now she can be reunited with her brother and sister....and family," thanked another X user.
One more exclaimed, "I’m glad to hear this as well as the other 29 children."
Another one typed, "Her beautiful smile and the fact she will never see her parents again makes me so depressed"
"Thank you! I was hoping she would be!" said one more.
One more X user said, "Poor baby. I hope she will be released and hopefully reunited with family members. We need our kids back home. This is gut wrenching".
The Israel-Palestine deal 'should bring home additional American hostages'
In light of the agreement reached Tuesday night, November 21, President Joe Biden stated that more American captives would probably be released; however, he did not specify how many.
He declared in a statement, "Today’s deal should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released."
"Today's deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States Government to bring Americans home," Biden added.
Apart from exchanging prisoners, both sides have decided to put an end to hostilities for at least four days, per Daily Mail.
According to the agreement, over four days, Hamas is to release 50 women and children out of the approximately 240 captives it is holding in the Gaza Strip, as stated by the Israeli government.
It said that for every ten hostages freed, the period of calm would be extended by one more day. Over four days, Hamas is set to release 12 Israeli children and women every night.
As per the sources who are close to the conversations, Israel is willing to release 150 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails and permit 300 relief trucks to enter Gaza daily during the ceasefire.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will go back on the offensive against Hamas when the ceasefire ends.
