Finally they are reunited! A photo published by the Times of Israel shows the German-Israeli Asher family.
Doron Asher Katz and her two daughters Raz (4) and Aviv (2). abducted to Gaza by Hamas on October 7th.
Since then, father Yoni (37) has done everything he can to get his family back. He visited Germany, met Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (67), visited Brussels, spoke to the European Union and flew to the USA to recruit celebrities to become the voices of his young daughters.
On Friday, Doron, Raz and Aviv were finally released – and Yoni can hold his loved ones in his arms again!
The photo of the four is a picture of hope. Also for those who continue more than 200 people abductedwhich are still in the hands of Hamas.
With these pictures of (from left) Efrat Katz, Gadi Moses and Doron Asher, the father of the family drew attention to the fate of his family
“I will do everything I can to ensure that all the hostages come home.”
On X (formerly Twitter) journalist Ari Hoffmann shared a video of Yoni after his family was freed. The father of the family speaks emotionally about the situation: “I am happy that I got my family back. We can rejoice and shed a tear. That’s human. But I’m not celebrating, I won’t be celebrating until the last hostage returns home.”
Yoni Asher also emphasizes: “Our children, fathers, mothers and sisters are currently hostages. There are people whose hearts are breaking during this time, and I want to ensure that every single hostage returns home. The families of the hostages are not posters. They are not slogans. They are real people.”
He sees the families of the hostages as his “new family,” Yoni continues, “and I will do everything I can to ensure that the last hostage returns home safely.”
The hostages who returned to Israel on Friday were taken to hospitals near Tel Aviv and reunited with their families. The four children, three mothers and a grandmother, arrived at the Schneider Children’s Medical Center “in the best and most caring hands,” the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted the facility’s director, Efrat Baron Har Lev, as saying.
“Your physical condition is good,” the director added. As the Israeli portal Ynet reports, five hostages were also taken to the Wolfson Medical Center on Friday evening.
On Saturday, 13 hostages are to be freed from the clutches of Hamas. In return, Israel is releasing Palestinian prisoners, many of them convicted terrorists, as part of the Qatar-brokered hostage deal.