Dori Roberts, whom we interviewed several weeks ago, reported to The Jewish Press the good news about how his cousin, Doron Katz Asher, 34, and her two young daughters, Raz, 4, and Aviv, 2, were freed on November 24 in the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. They were held captive together in an underground tunnel in Gaza for almost 50 days, and were released on the first day of the temporary ceasefire. So far, 104 Israeli and foreign national hostages have been freed, most of whom are women and children. Israel has released three Palestinians from prison for every one hostage who is returned home.
Dori expressed relief and happiness that his cousins are finally home safe, reunited with loved ones. He saw video footage of their emotional reunion with Yoni, Doron’s husband and father of her little girls at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel. “We celebrate and enjoy the very uplifting images…We shed a tear and hug. It was a beautiful moment of pure joy.”
Doron is being treated for a shrapnel injury in her back. The staff at the hospital reported to Reuters that her children are in “relatively good condition.” Dori stated, “The kids (and) Doron all suffered a grave and really hard traumatic event throughout the entire kidnap (experience). They saw their grandmother murdered in front of their eyes on the way to Gaza… her body was found at the border.” He added, “It’s going to take a long time and a long road to a full recovery on the mental side.”
Doron explained that a former CIA director came to Israel to work closely with the Israeli government to negotiate on behalf of the hostages, and that Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and Germany were also involved. “Everything was funneled eventually through Qatar, to be the one who’s contacting Hamas and doing all of these negotiations,” he said. There is still no information available about his other missing relatives, Ravid and Gadi.
Dori plans to go to Israel to see Doron, Aviv, and Raz later this year. He emphasized, “We have to keep in mind that there are still (145) other hostages, and we have to make sure that every single one of them will get the same treatment and head back home, and will be reunited with their families.”
