Emilia Aloni, 5, one of the youngest hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 massacre, returned to kindergarten on Tuesday.
In a heartwarming video recorded by Emilia’s mother, Danielle, and released on social networks by the family and the Israeli Ministry of Education, the teacher is seen opening the gate for Emilia, saying: “Welcome, welcome, welcome—I feel like breaking into song! Wow, I love her!”
5-year-old #Israeli Emilia Aloni, who spent nearly 2 months in #Hamas captivity in #Gaza and was released on November 24th, returned to her kindergarten in #Israel today and reunited with her friends and teacher. What an incredible moment of light after such a dark experience.💙 pic.twitter.com/yA2kbCmkWv
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) December 5, 2023
After the teacher hugs Emilia, the other girls start hugging her too. One of them is heard telling Emilia: “I missed you for such a long, long time,” and, “I missed you. I saw you on TV.”
Emilia and her mother, Danielle, 44, were visiting Danielle’s sister, Sharon Aloni-Cunio, 34, and her husband, 34, in Kibbutz Nir Oz, close to the Gaza Strip. On the morning of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault, they sent text messages to their families, reporting they were in the safe room.
Danielle’s last voice message, at 11:20 a.m., said Hamas terrorists had set the house on fire and smoke was coming in under the door. That was the last time her family heard from her.
Later that day, David’s brother, also a kibbutz member, went into the house and found no sign of the family.
A TikTok video later revealed David, Sharon, their 3-year-old twin girls, Yuly and Emma, and Danielle and Emilia on a pickup truck, being taken hostage by Hamas.
Later, Danielle was one of three of the Israeli women held by Hamas chosen to appear in a propaganda video blaming Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu for the events.
Danielle and Emilia were among the first batch of hostages released on Nov. 24 as part of a weeklong ceasefire, while Sharon and her daughters were released on Nov. 27.
David is still captive along with his brother Ariel; Ariel’s girlfriend, Arbel Yehud; Arbel’s brother, Dolev Yehud; together with 134 other hostages.
Previously published by Israel Hayom.