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From the Liveblog of Saturday, November 25, 2023

PHOTO: Emily Hand, Hila Rotem reunite with family members in Israel

26 November 2023, 12:45 am 12 Edit

Emily Hand (second from right) reunites with her father, Tom Hand (right) while Hila Rotem (second from left), whose mother is still held hostage, reunites with family members in the early hours of November 26, 2023. (Courtesy; clause 27a of the copyright law)

Emily Hand, 9, and Hila Rotem, 12, reunite with their family members after crossing into Israel in one of the first photos published following their release.

Emily, whose mother died when she was a toddler, meets her father, Tom, while Hila, whose mother is still held hostage in Gaza, meets her uncle and another family member.

Emily’s family issues a statement saying that they “have no words to describe our emotions after 50 difficult and very complicated days. We are happy, but we don’t forget for a moment Raya Rotem who did not come home today and all the hostages who are still there.”