Family of released Hamas hostage: 'We are deeply emotional'

Thursday morning saw the release of the female soldier, Agam Berger, 20. Seven more hostages were released by militant Islamist Hamas later in the day: the German-Israelis Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, as well as five Thai hostages.

But Israel was appalled at the scenes that took place during the handover. Yehoud and Moses were made to walk through a crowd of screaming people who tried to take photos of them.

Yehoud was originally supposed to be released last Saturday. Instead, Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the EU, the US and others, released four female soldiers.

In response to the violation of the current ceasefire agreement, Israel promptly halted the return of Palestinians heading north. Yehoud's release was a precondition laid down by Israel before it ultimately agreed to allow those displaced to return to their hometowns in northern Gaza.

"We are overwhelmed and deeply emotional," Yehoud's family said in a statement sent to DW. "Ahead of us lies a lifelong journey of family healing, as a bereaved family mourning and missing our beloved Dolev."

Waiting and worrying for nearly 16 months

Arbel Yehoud's brother, Dolev, was killed in the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Arbel herself was abducted with the family of her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border. Initially, they hid in the house of her partner's brother but the attackers set fire to it, forcing them all out into the open. Some 1,200 Israelis were killed during the terror attacks, and another 250 were taken hostage.

Arbel Yehoud's family has been forced to wait and worry for nearly 16 months before they were finally able to hold her in their arms again on Thursday.

"We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who made Arbel’s release possible," the family's statement said. "Thank you to the countless individuals who have worked tirelessly, day and night, in the fight to bring all our loved ones home, never giving up throughout these unbearably painful, difficult, and prolonged months. Amidst it all, our hearts are with the families who have paid the heaviest price."

Yehoud's father met with Israeli, German politicians

Before her abduction, Arbel Yehoud was employed as a visitor chaperone at Groovetech, a company that deals with technology and space exploration and is located close to Nir Oz, where she grew up.

Like the relatives of many other Hamas hostages, Yehoud's family engaged in numerous activities aimed at securing a ceasefire and the safe return of their loved ones.

Beyond talks with Israeli politicians, her father Yechti Yehoud also traveled to Berlin, where he spoke with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Not only is Arbel Yehoud an Israeli citizen, the great-granddaughter of a Hamburg painter, she also has a German passport.

After months of negotiations between Israel and Hamas, international mediators succeeded in bringing about a temporary ceasefire that began on January 19. During the first six-week phase of the deal, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians currently held in Israeli jails. Of the 33, seven captives have so far been set free, all of them females.

'Our mission is not complete'

Women, the elderly and children have been prioritized. Arbel's partner, Ariel Cunio, will remain in captivity for some time, as will his brother. Yechti Yehoud said he's in close contact with Ariel's family. Arbel and Ariel had been together for five years when Hamas abducted them. They had just returned home from a trip to South America before they were dragged away to Gaza. It's unclear whether they remained together while they were held hostage.

"Our mission is not complete. Arbel's partner, Ariel, is still held captive in Gaza, as is his brother David, their close friend Sasha, the remaining hostages from Nir Oz and all the others who are still waiting to come home," the Yehoud family said. "We must bring them all home immediately so that we, as a society, can begin to heal."

Jan-Philipp Scholz contributed to this article.

This article was originally written in German and published on January 29, 2025, and translated by Jon Shelton and Carla Bleiker. It was updated on January 30, 2025, to include news of the release of Yehoud and seven other hostages, as well as statements by Yehoud's family.