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Middle East conflict

Hostage comes back to Israel after being announced dead days before

But according to the list of released persons that was provided by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76-year-old Hanna Katzir was among the 13 Israelis who returned to their country on Friday evening

TEL AVIV, November 25. /TASS/. The name of Hanna Katzir showed up on the list of the first Israeli hostages brought back home from captivity in the Gaza Strip, even though she had been announced dead just days before.

The radical group Palestinian Islamic Jihad said on November 9 they were ready to release two Israeli prisoners, including Katzir, due to the lack of medication required by the pair. The group said on November 21 that Katzir had died.

But according to the list of released persons that was provided by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76-year-old Hanna Katzir was among the 13 Israelis who returned to their country on Friday evening. According to the footage of the convoy of the freed people traveling through Egypt to Israel, all of the hostages were released alive and were able to move on their own.

Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari highlighted the case of Katzir at a news conference.

"More than ever, we must now avoid spreading unverified information. For example, dear Hanna Katzir returned home today after terrorist groups said they killed her a few days ago. This is proof that it is necessary to rely only on official sources," he said.

Hamas said on November 22 it had reached an agreement with Israel, which was brokered by Qatar and Egypt, to introduce a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip for four days. The group said that the agreement involves the release of 50 women and children under the age of 19 that are held in the enclave in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. The Gaza truce kicked off at 5:00 a.m. GMT.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated following an incursion of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, accompanied by killings of residents of Israeli settlements near the border and taking more than 200 hostages, including children, women and elderly people. Hamas has cast the attack as a response to Israeli actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel also strikes parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for bombardments originating from these countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

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Palestine Israel

Middle East conflict

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