(20 Jan 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tel Aviv, Israel – 20 January 2025
1. People at "Hostages Square," gathering point for families of hostages and other supporters
2. Posters with images tied to tree with yellow ribbons
3. Poster with images of hostages held in Gaza (three in middle) and images of released hostages Doron Steinbrecher (right) and Emily Damari (left)
4. Poster of released hostage Romi Gonen
5. Poster of released hostage Damari tied to tree with yellow ribbon
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashley Waxman Bakshi, cousin of Agam Berger, a hostage held in Gaza:
"We were so thrilled to see the three hostages Emily, Romi and Doron come home yesterday, and finally we were able to smile after so long. But we’re not forgetting that this deal is so fragile, and we must make sure that it goes through until the very end, until the very, very last hostage."
7. People at Hostages Square
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashley Waxman Bakshi, cousin of Agam Berger, a hostage held in Gaza:
"It is critical that on the 16th day when the two sides are supposed to continue the negotiations, to continue to phase two, that that goes through and continues because everybody needs to remember that, yes, our three beautiful girls came home yesterday, but we have 94 more that need to come home. And we won’t stop until they all do."
9. Image of hostage Agam Berger printed on Waxman Bakshi’s shirt
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ashley Waxman Bakshi, cousin of Agam Berger, a hostage held in Gaza:
"We’re waiting for Agam. We’ve been waiting for over 15 months and we’re praying that she has a safe journey back home to us. And we are praying that she will come home on her feet and we will be able to start, you know, repairing whatever trauma she has gone through over the past 15 months. But we’re waiting and we’re not forgetting about everyone else. Even after, God willing, she will come home. We will continue fighting until each and every one comes home."
11. Images of hostages
12. Poster with image of Agam Berger, hostage held in Gaza (middle)
STORYLINE:
The cousin of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza said on Monday that she was "thrilled to see" the news of the three Israeli hostages leaving Hamas captivity after more than 15 months, adding that she is praying for her relative’s safe return.
Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees early on Monday, hours after three Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza returned to Israel.
The long-awaited ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect Sunday.
"We’re not forgetting that this deal is so fragile, and we must make sure that it goes through until the very end, until the very, very last hostage," said Ashley Waxman Bakshi, the cousin of hostage Agam Berger.
In Israel, the joy of seeing freed hostages Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher reunited with their families was tempered by major questions over the fate of the nearly 100 others abducted in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, still in captivity in Gaza.
"Everybody needs to remember that, yes, our three beautiful girls came home yesterday, but we have 94 more that need to come home," Waxman Bakshi said.
She added that she "will continue fighting until each and every one comes home," she added.
The ceasefire that went into effect Sunday morning stirred modest hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.
The toll of the war has been staggering, and new details about its scale and impact will emerge.
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