Israeli-American dual citizen Liat Beinin has been freed by Hamas and is reportedly in the hands of the Red Cross after seven weeks in captivity.
Beinin, 49, is an American-born Israeli who was kidnapped by the terrorist organization along with her husband, Aviv Atzili, from Kibbutz Nir Or on the morning of October 7.
During the horrific attack, the couple’s house was burned down. The next day, Aviv’s phone was geo-located to Gaza. His mother, 78-year-old Telma Atzili, hid for 10 hours during the attack and has been in Eilat with her grandchildren.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Colorado on Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said Beinin is ‘safe in Egypt just across the border’ and ‘should be home soon’.
Biden said he had spoken to the mother and father of the freed woman and added that ‘things are moving well’.
According to her father, Liat Beinin is a high school civics and history teacher and a tour guide at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.
She is just the second kidnapped American citizen to be been returned so far. Four-year-old Abigail Idan, now an orphan, was freed on Sunday.
The White House said two American women should have been released with Abigail on Sunday and it is not clear why this did not happen.
Liat Beinin Atzili and Aviv Atzili, 49, were taken by Hamas on October 7. Liat, who was born American, was returned today
![Israelis cheer over the weekend as an army helicopter transporting recently freed hostages takes off](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/17/78291243-12805751-Israelis_cheer_over_the_weekend_as_an_army_helicopter_transporti-a-6_1701280030264.jpg)
Israelis cheer over the weekend as an army helicopter transporting recently freed hostages takes off
![One American-Israeli hostage has been released so far - four-year-old Abigail Edan, who was freed on Sunday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/17/78291219-12805751-One_American_Israeli_hostage_has_been_released_so_far_four_year_-a-7_1701280038996.jpg)
One American-Israeli hostage has been released so far – four-year-old Abigail Edan, who was freed on Sunday
Earlier on Wednesday, CNN reported that ‘at least one American citizen’ being held by the radical Palestinian terrorist organization was expected to be among the sixth group of hostages due to be handed over today.
It was reported that three of the ten hostages being released today are Germans and one is Dutch.
Two additional Israeli hostages with dual Russian citizenship were transferred to the Red Cross Wednesday and later arrived in Israel, according to the IDF. They were reportedly not part of the negotiated exchange.
On Monday, Israel and Hamas announced that they would extend the ceasefire by another two days, during which time ten Israeli hostages per day would be returned.
Israel is reportedly attempting to see if it is ‘a possibility’ to extend the ceasefire with Hamas that is currently set to expire Thursday morning.
NSC spokesperson John Kirby said future releases are dependent upon Hamas’ willingness to continue the pause in fighting:
‘Israelis have said they are willing to continue the pause if more hostages are released.’
US State Department officials have made it clear that they do not have an update on any of the Americans kidnapped – including their whereabouts, conditions or a timeline for release.
White House officials made it clear Tuesday that they were not expecting any Americans to be part of the batch of hostages released. On Monday, they had said they were hoping some Americans would be part of the group released that evening.
Kirby said Tuesday that there is no indication that hostages with official ties to America are being held as a sort of strategic tactic.
Officials have not provided an exact list of the Americans being held hostage.
The number is believed to be higher than eight, and most of the presumed members on that last have ties to both America and Israel – several have dual citizenship.
One complicating factor is how little information Hamas has shared with Israel and outside sources about the condition of the hostages.
![Israel is currently working to figure out if there is a possibility of further extending the ceasefire](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/17/78291235-12805751-On_Monday_Israel_and_Hamas_announced_they_will_extend_the_ceasef-a-8_1701280047042.jpg)
Israel is currently working to figure out if there is a possibility of further extending the ceasefire
A spokesperson for The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, who run the Bring Them Home Now campaign, told Dailymail.com they are not aware of the condition of any hostage, or how many are still alive.
She said: ‘The Red Cross has not been allowed to visit the hostages and provide a proof of life report and a proof of health report.
‘The only proof of life we have received are videos that Hamas has released that are now outdated.’
She also pointed out that the last two videos released have featured people who have been killed.
Furthermore, she said, none of the videos that Hamas has released have had any Americans in them.
‘The last two videos that have been released are people who have been killed, released or still in captivity.’
Though there is no formal list of American hostages, DailyMail.com has compiled the identities of some of the US citizens who were taken by Hamas on October 7.
Two of the Americans, Omer Neutra and Edan Alexander, were raised in the tri-state New York area and were fighting in the IDF when they were taken.
Two married couples with concrete ties to the US were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
![Liat Beinin Atzili and Aviv Atzili, both of whom have strong ties to the US, are thought to be in Hamas custody after being taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/19/78290465-12805751-Liat_Beinin_Atzili_and_Aviv_Atzili_both_of_whom_have_strong_ties-a-24_1701285685040.jpg)
![Judy Weinstein and Gad Haggai were also taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/19/78287663-12805751-Judy_Weinstein_and_Gad_Haggai_were-m-23_1701285679804.jpg)
The condition of the pairs is unknown, but it was reported that Weinstein and Haggai were both injured before being taken
![Omer Neutra, who turned 22 several days after the barbaric October 7 attack, was a member of the IDF stationed on the Israel-Gaza border when he was kidnapped. He is a native of Long Island, New York where he lived until graduating high school](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/19/78288125-12805751-Omer_Neutra_who_turned_22_several_days_after_the_barbaric_Octobe-a-28_1701286113933.jpg)
![Edan Alexander recently graduated from Tenafly High School in New Jersey and was serving in the IDF's Golani Brigade 51st Division when he was taken](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/29/19/78287669-12805751-Edan_Alexander_recently_graduated_from_Tenafly_High_School_in_Ne-a-29_1701286113933.jpg)
Both young men moved to Israel and joined the IDF after graduating high school in the US
Itay Chen and Sagui Dekel-Chen are not related, but do both have American parents who are lobbying the US government to prioritize their return.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents led a media blitz all lsat month following their 23-year-old son’s kidnapping from the supernova music festival in the south of Israel.
Horrifying footage revealed that the young man, whose family moved from the US to Israel halfway through his childhood, may have had his arm blown off by a Hamas grenade before being taken in a flatbed truck into Gaza.
And finally, North Carolina born Keith Samuel Siegel, 64, who was taken from Kfar Aza with his wife Aviva. She was released with the first wave of hostages several days ago.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk