13 Hostages Including 8 Children Released
Hila Rotem Shares Photos Taken During Visit to Korea
Kidnapped at Home with Mother
On the second day of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas on the 25th (local time), Hamas released a second group of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, including 13 hostages and 4 foreigners. Among them was Hila Rotem, a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home along with her mother.
Local media such as The Times of Israel reported that a total of 13 Israeli hostages?8 children, 4 mothers, and 1 young woman?were released after being held captive for 50 days. Among the photos of the released hostages published by the Israeli Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum was a picture of Hila Rotem (13) smiling while wearing a hanbok.
On the 25th (local time), Hila Rotem (13), an Israeli girl released in Hamas's second hostage release, is smiling while wearing a hanbok in a photo that appears to have been taken during her visit to Korea. [Photo by AP Yonhap News]
Hila was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri, Israel, along with her mother Raya Rotem (54). According to the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, Hila is a kind-hearted 13-year-old girl who enjoys TikTok, sushi, and skateboarding. The released photos of Hila included images taken during a visit to Korea, apparently in front of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, and others showing her dressed beautifully in hanbok at a royal palace.
The American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum and Kibbutz Be'eri, reported that Hila’s mother Raya remains in captivity. These organizations criticized Hamas for not keeping its promise not to separate families during the release process.
Israeli media Ynet News reported, "Over the past two days, Mossad pressured Hamas to release Hila’s mother but was unsuccessful." Other families, who had hoped that the mother and daughter would be released together given Hila’s young age, expressed their disappointment. Earlier this week, before the hostage negotiations were finalized, Raya’s brother Yari Rotem told WSJ in an interview, "Both mother and daughter will be released this time," expressing hope.
The Israeli media The Times of Israel reported that Hila safely returned to Israel and reunited with her family, releasing a photo of her together with 9-year-old Emily Hand, Emily’s father, and Hila’s family, who were released together.
According to foreign media, most of the hostages released that day were from Kibbutz Be'eri. Kibbutz Be'eri suffered the greatest damage during Hamas’s surprise attack last month, with about 1,200 people killed and around 240 taken hostage.
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