In Israel, family and friends came together to rejoice the news that they would soon be reunited with 4-year-old Abigail Edan, one of 17 hostages Hamas released Sunday.
Edan, the first American hostage to be freed, was taken by militants Oct. 7 after they killed her parents.
“The grandparents didn’t spoke to Abigail yet, but they are very excited that she’s home,” said Efrat Avraham, a family friend. “They are waiting to see her. They joy in the house is — can’t be described.”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
All 17 hostages were taken to an Israeli hospital after their release, given medical assessments and prepared to return to their families. The Israeli military released footage of two Israeli girls who had been held hostage being released into the arms of their loved ones.
Also on Sunday, Israel released 39 imprisoned Palestinians into the West Bank. 33 of the prisoners were children and six were women, according to a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the Bay Area Sunday, dozens gathered at the Alameda City Hall calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
“I came out here today to call for a lasting cease-fire for the sake of our children and families,” said Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb with Jewish Voice for Peace. “Because there is no way to peace except justice.”
Many are worried for the well-being of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been displaced and are facing scarce medical resources.
“And the only thing that we’ve asked for is a cease-fire,” said San Leandro resident Amina Hakim. “And that’s debatable to this day and it’s confusing, so we’re asking people to show up and express their solidarity for that.”
