After Gaza deal

Gaza deal: Austrian Tal Shoham to be released

The Austrian Tal Shoham has been in the hands of Hamas for months.(Bild: GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP, zVg, Krone KREATIV)

In the Gaza conflict, the guns are to fall silent from Sunday and the first hostages are to be released soon. One of them is said to be the Austrian Tal Shoham. His family announced in a statement: "While media reports indicate that Tal is part of the proposed agreement, we are waiting for official confirmation from Hamas."

"Until we receive such confirmation, we are up in the air. Tal has been held captive for over 460 days. Our lives therefore continue to be in an emotional rollercoaster between hope, fear and agony - a state that will only be resolved when we can finally hold Tal again," the family said.

Tal and her family were abducted by terrorists from Kibbutz Be'eri in southern Israel to Gaza on October 7, 2023. The two children and their mother were freed after 50 days. The family is now hoping for the release of the 39-year-old father and husband.

Austria has worked hard to ensure that the 39-year-old father of the family can be released early due to his health problems - hence with the first 33 hostages. A total of 94 people are said to still be held by Hamas.

On Wednesday, Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas agreed on a ceasefire in the 15-month conflict, in which more than 40,000 people have lost their lives. This was announced by the mediators Qatar, the USA and Egypt. 

The news of the agreement was met with jubilation not only in the Gaza Strip. People danced, hugged each other and took photos to capture the special moment.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that last-minute demands by Hamas had been successfully rejected by Israel's head of government. US President Joe Biden was delighted with the success, but his successor Donald Trump is claiming the credit for himself.