American hostage Liat Beinin is FREED by Hamas after seven weeks in captivity – only the second US national to be released since horrific October 7 attack on Israel
Israeli-American dual national Liat Beinin has been released by Hamas and is reportedly in the hands of the Red Cross after seven weeks of captivity.
Beinin, 49, is an American-born Israeli who was kidnapped by the terrorist organization from Kibbutz Nir Or on the morning of October 7, along with her husband Aviv Atzili.
During the horrific attack, the couple’s home was burned down. The next day, Aviv’s phone was in Gaza. His mother, 78-year-old Telma Atzili, hid for ten hours during the attack and was in Eilat with her grandchildren.
President Joe Biden said with reporters during a trip to Colorado on Wednesday afternoon that Beinin is “safe in Egypt, just across the border” and “should be home soon.”
Biden said he had spoken to the freed woman’s mother and father, adding that “I’m doing well.”
According to her father, Liat Beinin is a high school social studies and history teacher and a guide at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.
She is only the second kidnapped U.S. citizen to be returned to date. Four-year-old Abigail Idan, now an orphan, was released on Sunday.
The White House said two American women should have been released Sunday along with Abigail and it is not clear why this was not done.
Liat Beinin Atzili and Aviv Atzili, 49, were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. Liat, who was of American descent, was returned today
Israelis cheer this weekend as an army helicopter carrying recently freed hostages takes off
One American-Israeli hostage has been released so far: four-year-old Abigail Edan, who was released on Sunday
Earlier on Wednesday, CNN reported that “at least one American citizen” held by the radical Palestinian terrorist organization is expected to be among the sixth group of hostages to be transferred today.
It was reported that three of the ten hostages released today are Germans and one is Dutch.
Two additional Israeli hostages with dual Russian citizenship were transferred to the Red Cross on Wednesday and later arrived in Israel, the IDF said. They were reportedly not part of the negotiated exchange.
On Monday, Israel and Hamas announced they would extend the ceasefire for another two days, during which time 10 Israeli hostages per day would be returned.
Israel is reportedly trying to explore whether it is “a possibility” to extend the ceasefire with Hamas, which is currently set to expire on Thursday morning.
NSC spokesman John Kirby said future releases depend on Hamas’ willingness to continue the lull in fighting:
“Israelis have said they are willing to continue the pause if more hostages are released.”
US Department of State Officials have made clear they have no update on the kidnapped Americans — including their whereabouts, conditions or a timeline for release.
White House officials made clear Tuesday that they did not expect Americans to be among the group of released hostages. On Monday, they had said they hoped some Americans would be part of the group released that evening.
Kirby said Tuesday that there is no evidence that hostages with official ties to America are being held as some kind of strategic tactic.
Officials have not provided an exact list of the Americans being held hostage.
This number is believed to be higher than eight, and most of the supposed members of the latter group have ties to both America and Israel – several have dual citizenship.
A complicating factor is how little information Hamas has shared with Israel and outside sources about the condition of the hostages.
Israel is currently investigating whether there is a possibility to further extend the ceasefire
A spokesperson for The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which runs the Bring Them Home Now campaign, told Ny Breaking.com that they are not aware of the condition of any hostages, or how many are still alive.
She said: ‘The Red Cross has not been allowed to visit the hostages and provide proof of life and proof of health.
“The only proof of life we have received are videos released by Hamas and which are now outdated.”
She also pointed out that the last two videos released show people who have been murdered.
Furthermore, she said that none of the videos released by Hamas feature Americans.
“The last two videos released are people who have been killed, released or still in captivity.”
Although no formal list of American hostages exists, DailyMail.com has gathered the identities of some American citizens kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Two of the Americans, Omer Neutra and Edan Alexander, grew up in the New York tri-state area and were fighting in the IDF when they were taken.
Two married couples with concrete ties to the US were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
The condition of the couples is unknown, but it was reported that Weinstein and Haggai were both injured before being taken away
Both young men moved to Israel and joined the IDF after graduating high school in the US
Itay Chen and Sagui Dekel-Chen are not related, but both have American parents who are lobbying the US government to prioritize their return.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents led a month-long media blitz following the kidnapping of their 23-year-old son during the supernova music festival in southern Israel.
Gruesome footage has revealed that the young man, whose family moved from the US to Israel mid-childhood, may have had his arm blown off by a Hamas grenade before he was taken to Gaza in a flatbed truck.
And finally, North Carolina native Keith Samuel Siegel, 64, who was taken from Kfar Aza with his wife Aviva. A few days ago she was released along with the first wave of hostages.