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Roni K. at the time of his release in a Red Cross car

Photograph:

REUTERS TV / REUTERS

A 25-year-old Israeli-Russian man, who was taken hostage by Hamas, was able to escape temporarily, according to his family. This was told by the aunt of Roni K.dem Israeli public television channel Kanal B. On Sunday, K. was released by Hamas.

According to the broadcaster, the young man was abducted by Hamas on October 7 during the terrorist attack on a festival in the Negev desert. The terrorists had held him captive in a building, the aunt said in the interview. When the building was damaged by suspected Israeli bombing, he was able to flee.

"He was trying to get to the border, but I think he was having trouble because he didn't know where he was and in which direction he had to flee," the aunt said. Her nephew told her in a telephone conversation that he was able to hide for about four days. Then residents of the Gaza Strip discovered him and handed him back to the terrorists.

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Roni K. in an undated photograph taken before his deportation to the Gaza Strip

Photo: Hostages and Missing Families Forum / AP

Nightmares of the raid on the festival in the Negev desert

The aunt continued, "He told me, 'I have nightmares about what I went through at the party and in captivity, but that's good because it means I'm dealing with it and I'm okay.'"

As the TV channel reported, the young man was released as a result of a personal intervention by Russian President Vladimir Putin. His release was not part of the hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas, which has since been extended by two days, and which includes only female hostages and children.

Hamas chief Sinwar reportedly met Israeli hostages

The head of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, reportedly visited Israeli hostages during their captivity. This was reported by Israeli television, citing a released hostage.

The visit took place in an underground tunnel in the first days after the kidnapping on October 7, the unnamed woman said. The visitor introduced himself as Yahya Sinwar and spoke Hebrew. "You're safest here, nothing will happen to you," he said. The report cannot be independently verified.

Sinwar was convicted by Israel in 1988 of murdering four alleged collaborators and two Israeli soldiers. He spent more than two decades in Israeli detention, learning Hebrew during that time. In 2011, Sinwar was one of more than 1000,2017 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. In <>, he became head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

On October 7, an estimated 3000,1200 terrorists from Hamas and other groups crossed the border into Israel. They murdered about 240,<> people and deported about <> people to the Gaza Strip. Since then, Sinwar has been at the top of Israel's hit list.

mgo/dpa