The first three hostages were released on Sunday by Hamas as part of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Hours later, 90 Palestinians were released from the Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank and a detention center in Jerusalem.
Published on 20/01/2025 08:26
Reading time: 1min
The day after the release of three Israeli hostages, the Franco-Israeli director, member of the Hostage Families Forum, Ruth Berdah-Canet, discusses Monday January 20 on franceinfo, a “an extraordinary moment of communion with them, with the Israeli people.” “We experienced it as a magical moment. For 471 days, we repeated a mantra: ‘Bring them home’. Bring them home. And finally, it happened.”smiles Ruth Berdah-Canet, present on site.
If she had to remember an image of the arrival of the hostages on Sunday, “this is the moment when Romi [Gonen]Doron [Steinbrecher] et Emily [Damari] find their mother”. A moment “universal” poursuit Ruth Berdah-Canet. “In France, we understand because our values are the values of life. These are things to which we can all relate,” explains the Franco-Israeli director.
It nevertheless remains measured. “We welcomed our families, but we did not declare victory” while 30 hostages are still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Regarding the scenes of jubilation in Ramallah, upon the arrival of the 90 prisoners released by Israel, Ruth Berdah-Canet believes that “We know who we are dealing with. We are not surprised by the setup on the other side.”
Ruth Berdah-Canet, member of the Hostage Families Forum, did not, however, “no news from the French hostages. The families themselves do not know long in advance what is happening”, she confides.
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