The release of four hostages who were kidnapped in Israel was met with jubilation by the world media. A woman, whose harrowing experience had become a symbol of captivity, was hailed as a hero by top newspapers such as the British Guardian, French Le Monde, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times. Trey Yingst, an American war correspondent from Fox News, shared the good news on social media while Stefan Seibert, the German ambassador to Israel, expressed his joy and relief at their safe return.
CNN provided extensive coverage of the event with Nick Robertson, the International Diplomacy Reporter commenting on the survivors’ pale appearance after spending 246 days in captivity. World leaders like Carl Nehammer from Austria and Geert Wilders from the Netherlands congratulated the rescue of the hostages while emphasizing the need for all captives to be released. Radoslav Shikorski, Poland’s foreign minister expressed hope for peace between Israel and Palestine as one of those released was an Israeli-Polish citizen.
The spontaneous celebrations in Ramat Gan were marked by applause, cheers and blue and white flags as Israelis rejoiced at the news of their safe return. Although they had undergone a traumatic ordeal there was hope that with care and support they could overcome it. World leaders and media outlets continued to express their joy and relief at this happy outcome.
