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“Having an 85-year-old woman kidnapped: that’s not something that the world can permit,” she said.
Adva told us that, like most other residents of Nir Oz, her progressive farming community, Yaffa was an idealist who believed in peace between Israelis and Palestinians on the other side of the border fence.
“They were the ones who kidnapped her so where’s the hope in this story?” she asked. She feared her grandmother, who used a walking frame, would not be able to last through weeks in captivity without access to medication.
Yaffa, though, did survive 49 days in captivity in Gaza. The great-grandmother was among the first group of hostages released on Saturday morning, Australian time, and reunited with their families.
Twelve of the initial group of 13 freed Israelis came from Nir Oz, where one in four residents was either abducted or killed on October 7. Ten Thai nationals and a citizen from the Philippines were also released followed by a second group of 13 Israelis on Sunday morning Australian time.
In exchange, Israel released the first 39 of an expected 150 Palestinian prisoners on the first day of a planned four-day pause in fighting.
“We are very moved [by] her strength and from the way she was able to survive this experience,” Adva said in a video posted to social media on Sunday.
However, the joy at Yaffa’s release was tempered by the fact that her grandson Tamir, a 38-year-old father of two who was also taken hostage on October 7, remains kidnapped in Gaza.
Yaffa did not know during her captivity that many of her neighbours had been abducted or killed, or that Tamir was also being held hostage, her family members have said.
Reunited with her grandmother, Adva is now focussed on securing her cousin’s freedom.
“The fight is not over until all of the hostages will be back,” Adva said. “I ask you, all the international community, don’t stop fighting. We will fight for all of them, we will demand their return.”
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