Thursday’s Top Stories: Emily Hand’s family hope she is on release list, firm housing children in care engaged in ‘deceitful’ practices

Family hoping Emily Hand on release list with Gaza hostages set to be freed from Friday

The family of Israeli-Irish national Emily Hand were waiting anxiously on Wednesday night along with relatives of other children held hostage in Gaza to find out if she will be released.

Emily, who turned nine last week, was seized from kibbutz Be’eri on October 7th when 3,000 gunmen from Gaza crossed the border into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, and taking almost 240 into captivity.

Under an agreement endorsed by the Israeli cabinet in the early hours of Wednesday, a four-day ceasefire will go into effect on Thursday morning.

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