The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena, announced on Thursday that the Government of Mexico has obtained the release of Ilana Gritzewsky Camhi, the young Mexican woman kidnapped by Hamas since October 7. The official thanked Qatar for its "invaluable mediation" and also the National Intelligence Center of Mexico. The government "continues to work", said Bárcena, to achieve the return of the other young man in the hands of the Islamist militia, Orión Hernández, and also of the two sailors who are among the crew of a British cargo ship, hijacked a couple of weeks ago by the rebel group Huthi, from Yemen, in the Red Sea.
On October 6, a few hours before the attack, 30-year-old Ilana Gritzewsky was having dinner with her boyfriend Matan Zangauker in Ofakim, a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The couple had been living in the community of Nir Oz with their dog Nuni for two years. After the military offensive, Ilana managed to keep in touch with her brother Chaim and her father Benito Gritzewsky, according to Enlace Judío. But the next morning, the family lost all contact with her. Their father, Benito Gritzewsky, confirmed that Hamas had taken them all from the house.
Since then, the foreign secretary has insisted that negotiations were underway to release her. "The release of the compatriot led to multiple steps by the Mexican authorities and the intervention of friendly countries; all these procedures are carried out in a strictly confidential manner, in order to safeguard the integrity of the people," the agency said in a statement on Thursday, which only highlighted Qatar's participation.
Bárcena announced "with great joy" that the young woman is already with her family, who according to local media live in northern Israel. Her boyfriend is still in captivity, while her pet appeared a few days later alone in the house. Ilana was born in Quintana Roo and moved to Israel at the age of 16, with the Naalé program, which offers scholarships to teenagers. He first lived in Eilat, where he worked, and then moved to Sderot, according to his father. She is dedicated to pastry and confectionery for events. Just before she was kidnapped, she had spent two months back in Mexico, where her mother and brother still live. He returned to Israel on 2 October. Her father hadn't gotten to see her.
Gritzewsky is one of eight hostages who were released by Hamas on Thursday, the last day of the truce. In addition to the young woman, there are two minors and five other adult women, one of them Shani Goren, also a Uruguayan national. The Israel Defense Forces have claimed that they have been handed over to the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, the government continues to move forward with the work for the release of the second Mexican kidnapped by Hamas. Orion Hernandez, originally from Tepotzlán (Morelos), was at the Tribe of Nova music festival, known as the peace festival, which was held near Kibbutz Reim, in southern Israel and near Gaza. Hamas stormed the cultural event and killed at least 260 youths. Others, in a number that has not yet been confirmed, were kidnapped. Among them, Hernandez, who is still in captivity, and his girlfriend, German Shani Louk.
The video of Louk's abduction went around the world, after the body of the 22-year-old was exhibited half-naked and inert in a van with Hamas militants, where one of them even spat on her. Her mother, Ricarda, announced that the young woman was in serious condition with a traumatic brain injury. On October 30, Israel confirmed that the girl had died.
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