Video Shows Moment Israeli Mom Reunites With Daughters Kidnapped by Hamas

An Israeli mother on Monday shared a video of her reunion with her two daughters after they were taken as hostages by Hamas.

On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. Israeli officials have said that 1,200 people in Israel were killed in Hamas' attack, according to the Associated Press, while over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, officials from the health ministry in Gaza said, the AP reported.

In addition to the lives taken in the initial attack, Hamas took over 200 hostages, including numerous children, with their ultimate release being one of the primary goals espoused by the Israeli government. Last week, Israeli and Hamas forces engaged in a four-day ceasefire, during which it was agreed that 50 hostages would be released by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israel. The deal was, according to President Joe Biden, "reached by extensive U.S. diplomacy," though he also added that negotiations will continue until all hostages are freed.

Maayan Zin is an Israeli woman whose husband, Noam, was among those killed on October 7, while her two daughters, 15-year-old Dafna and 8-year-old Ela, were taken hostage. Since then, she has been outspoken in her public campaigning for their release. After 51 days, her daughters were among those in the third wave of hostages released by Hamas back to Israel. On Monday morning, she took to her official account on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, to share a video of their reunion that happened Sunday.

"My precious daughters were returned to me yesterday, a moment etched forever in my memory," Zin wrote in her post. "Thank you for making it happen."

In the video, which currently has over 1 million views, Zin can be seen making her way towards her two daughters, who appear to have been brought to the scene by officials in a van. The three then embrace for the remainder of the 31-second clip, with Zin speaking softly to them during the emotional moment.

"After a long period in which I lived in terrible uncertainty, my daughters are finally with me," Zin said in a previously released statement. "The girls are returning to a new and complex situation, and now we have a period of recovery that will take time. It is a joy mixed with sadness. Joy for my daughters who are here and sadness for those who have not yet returned. My heart will not be whole again until everyone returns home safely."

Newsweek reached out to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) via email for comment.

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