4-year-old Abigail Edan released by Hamas in hostage deal

NANTUCKET, Mass. - President Biden announced Sunday that a 4-year-old American girl, Abigail Edan, has been released in the latest group that Hamas is freeing after 50 days in captivity as part of a deal with Israel.

“Today she’s free,” he said from the White Elephant Hotel. “She’s free and she’s in Israel now.”

“She’s been through a terrible trauma,” the president added, noting that her mother was killed in front of her and that her father was gunned down as well while trying to shield her.

Abigail’s great aunt, Liz Hirsh Naftali, and cousin, Noa Naftali, said in a statement on Sunday that they had “no words to express our relief and gratitude that Abigail is safe and coming home.”

“We hoped and prayed today would come,” the Naftalis said. “Today’s release proves that it’s possible. We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing.”

Abigail, who was 3 years old at the time of the attack, turned 4 on Friday. Noa Naftali told CBS News in an interview last week that the girl and her family were at home in Israel’s Kfar Aza kibbutz, near the Gaza border, when Hamas militants attacked, killing Abigail’s mother in front of the child and her siblings, 10 and 6.

Abigail’s siblings survived the attack by hiding inside a closet, where they stayed for 14 hours before being rescued, Naftali said. She said that Abigail, initially feared dead, crawled from beneath her father’s body and ran to the home of a neighbor. Militants took Abigail hostage, along with that family of five, Noa Naftali said.

Abigail will be reunited with her siblings and live with their aunt, uncle and grandparents in Israel, Noa Naftali told CBS last week. They would be able to offer “the love and support that they need after losing their parents.”

In their statement, Abigail’s family thanked Biden and the White House team, as well as the Qatari government and “other informal actors who are involved in securing Abigail’s release and reuniting other hostages with their loved ones.”

In his remarks Sunday, the president said he would remain engaged in trying to secure the release of other Americans, and said he would continue working with the governments of Israel, Egypt and Qatar.

“The proof that this is working and worth pursuing further is in every smile and every grateful tears we see on the faces of those families who are finally getting back together again,” Biden said. “The proof is little Abigail. More than 20 other children, 18 years and younger, have been released. They’ve been released through this deal as well.”

The president said he doesn’t know what Abigail’s condition is, and that he has not seen photos of her.

“Thank God she is home,” Biden said.

In his remarks, the president emphasized that “innocent children in Gaza are suffering greatly as well.” According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 13,300 people have been killed in Gaza and 35,180 have been wounded since the Israel-Hamas war began.

Biden said the United States is also working with leaders across the region to deliver “critical humanitarian assistance to help innocent Palestinians in need” under a deal that has paused fighting for three days.

Under current terms, the pause will be extended by a day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas beyond the 50 agreed upon in the deal, Israel has said. As of Sunday, Hamas has released 58 hostages, including Thai and Filipino citizens during the last few days.

Officials believe that eight other U.S. citizens and one U.S. green card holder are still being held captive by Hamas. Two American women were released on Oct. 20.

Biden also spoke of the importance of the deal that his administration helped negotiate, adding that he hoped it could remain in place until all the hostages are released.

“I’m hopeful this is not the end, that it’s going to continue. But we don’t know,” he said.

It was the second time Biden gave formal remarks on the situation in Gaza over his five-day trip to the island for Thanksgiving. He is planning to return to Washington on Sunday afternoon.

U.S. officials say the Biden administration has been deeply involved in the hostage negotiation process, in which U.S. ally Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas.

“I will tell you that we are in extremely close touch, down to every possible detail, with both the Israelis and the Qataris, as well as with the Egyptians,” Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Sullivan said that while the administration has felt “very fully apprised of what is likely to unfold today,” officials were still proceeding “with caution” because they do not trust Hamas.

“We’re dealing with a terrorist group,” Sullivan said. “So we can’t be absolutely certain about what is going to happen until it happens.”

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Hauslohner, Davenport and Alfaro reported from Washington.