Photos Show Emotional Moment Israeli Hostages Reunited With Families

New footage shows the emotional moment several Israeli hostages were reunited with their families after weeks of captivity in Gaza, as dozens of Palestinian prisoners were also freed from Israeli jails.

On Friday, Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over an initial group of 13 Israeli hostages, 10 Thai nationals and one Filipino citizen, adding to the five who had already left Gaza.

The armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said on Saturday that it had handed over 13 Israelis and four foreign nationals to the Red Cross.

The hostages were returned under a deal to exchange 50 hostages in Gaza for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, bracketed by a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas. The Thai nationals were released under a separate deal.

Late on Saturday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said 13 Israeli and four Thai hostages had been released from Gaza via Egypt, and were traveling to Israeli hospitals "where they will be reunited with their families."

Among the hostages returned to their families after being released on Saturday was 9-year-old Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, who marked her birthday during the 50 days she spent as a hostage in the Gaza Strip.

It was hard to "find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days," Emily's father, Tom Hand, said shortly after his daughter's release. In new pictures, Emily can be seen running towards her father before they lock in a tight embrace.

"We are happy to hug Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all of the hostages who have yet to come back," he added. "We will continue to do everything in our power to bring them back home."

Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, was released on Saturday after she was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri, but her mother, Raya Rotem, remains in Gaza. Images and a brief video clip, provided by the IDF, show Hila reuniting with her uncle after more than a month and a half in captivity.

Shiri Weiss, 53, and her 18-year-old daughter, Noga, were also abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri. Noga hid under the bed in the family's safe room as Hamas captured her mother, according to Israeli media. The teenager later had to escape the house, which had been set on fire. Her last text to family members said a militant was approaching her hiding place, which was the last time anyone heard from her.

Hamas seized around 240 hostages from Israel in the October 7 attacks, and Israel has vowed to "return all of our hostages home." A third group of hostages is expected to be released later on Sunday.

Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners in the second phase of the deal, the WAFA news agency reported on Sunday.

The second wave of hostages were released after delays on Saturday, with Hamas accusing Israel of breaking its side of the fragile deal over aid in northern Gaza, which Israel denied.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that it offered its "sincere congratulations to the families of the recently released today," adding in a statement that an estimated 18 Thai citizens remained in Gaza.

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