November 27, 2023 Israel-Hamas war

Liat Beinin, an Israeli American woman being held hostage in Gaza, was expected to be among the 50 hostages Hamas released over the course of the initial four-day truce, according to the White House. But as of Monday, she remains in captivity.

"Obviously, I’m disappointed but we remain optimistic and hopeful that her release will come in the next two days," Yehuda Beinin, her father, told CNN's Erin Burnett Monday.

“We have no choice but to remain — other than to remain hopeful," Yehuda said. He said earlier in the interview that their family is "also concerned about Aviv, Liat Beinin’s husband.” 

“We know that Aviv was wounded on the day of the attack and other than that, we have no knowledge, whatsoever, of Aviv, where he’s being held or who’s holding him, actually,” Yehuda Beinin said. "Obviously this lack of information and lack of definitive news is very concerning."

Beinin said he and his wife suspect other groups in Gaza that Hamas does not fully control may be holding his daughter or her husband. 

“I don’t have specific information regarding who’s holding our daughter or Aviv. It just seems a reasonable conclusion given the course of events up till now," Yehuda said.

A relative of three hostages released on Monday said their release was “such a happy moment” full of love and smiles.

Diego Engelbert told CNN en Español that his sister Karina Engel and two nieces Mika Engel, 18, and Yuval Engel, 11, are happy to be home and ready to start their lives again.

Engelbert said that the girls were noticeably skinnier since their release from captivity. Yuval also has to undergo surgery on her leg, but is expected to recover.

The sisters' father remains in Gaza as a hostage, which weighs heavy on their minds, Engelbert said.

“Tomorrow we are going to move forward and we are going to win,” he said.

Engelbert said he’s glad his loved ones are home, but called on the international community to continue supporting the many families who remain separated.

The White House does not believe Hamas purposefully held back two American women who were expected to be freed as part of the release of hostages, a senior Biden administration official said Monday. 

The official said on a call with reporters that “so far” Hamas intentionally holding back the two American women hostages based on their American citizenship was not a “conclusion we would draw.” 

The official would not elaborate on how the administration came to that belief.

The Biden administration still hopes the two women will be released, the official said, pointing to an agreement in which Hamas has “committed to 20” additional hostages being released over the next two days.

That leaves open the possibility that the two American women could be released on Tuesday or Wednesday. 

During the days ahead, there will be further discussions between all parties about potentially extending the humanitarian pause to secure the release of more hostages being held by Hamas, according to the official. 

“We’ll see where we are two days from now,” the official said.

All 11 Israeli hostages released on Monday have arrived at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel's largest acute care facility, the Israeli Ministry of Health said.

There are nine children and two women in the group. The families of the hostages are waiting in the hospital to be reunited for the first time in about 52 days, the health ministry said in a statement.

Medical teams and other professionals at the hospital will be there to provide any medical or psychological care, the ministry said.

‏”We wish to remind you that these are sensitive moments for the freed hostages and their families and we wish to preserve their privacy,” the statement said. “The entire health system is prepared to receive anyone who will return to Israel and is preparing for tomorrow.”

A total of 33 Palestinians were released from several Israeli prisons Monday, the Israeli prison service said. 

They were released from the prisons in Damon, Megiddo, Ofer, Ktzi’ot, Ramon and Nafha, according to the service.

With Monday's releases, Hamas has so far released 69 hostages, primarily women and children. Israel has freed 150 Palestinians from prison, mainly women and minors, many of whom were detained but never charged.

The 11 hostages released by Hamas on Monday have left the reception area in Kerem Shalom in southern Israel and are on their way to a hospital where they will reunite with their families, the Israeli military said.

At a reception area near the Kerem Shalom crossing, the hostages underwent an initial medical assessment before being taken to the hospital, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. A CNN team on the ground saw helicopters landing at and taking off from Kerem Shalom.

CNN’s team outside the Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv saw a helicopter with an unidentified number of hostages landing at the top of the facility.

The hostages crossed into Israel from Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, the IDF said earlier.

All of the children hostages released Monday still have fathers who are being held in Gaza, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum headquarters said.

"We won’t rest until they are reunited and all the hostages are back home. Bring them back now," the statement said.

Hamas released a video Monday showing the handover to Red Cross officials of a fourth group of hostages released from captivity inside Gaza. 

The video was released on social media and comprises a series of edited clips. CNN was not present at any of the locations when the clips were filmed and had no control over the content. 

The video begins with what appears to be drone footage of Red Cross vehicles approaching a meeting point on a dark road linking up with Hamas vehicles for the handover of the 11 hostages. Armed Hamas fighters exit their vehicles in a sort of formation and one of them speaks briefly with the Red Cross representatives.

One of the children released was assisted out of the Hamas vans by fighters and put in a wheelchair and wheeled to the waiting Red Cross vehicle. Subsequent clips show several children being escorted towards Red Cross officials.

The video concludes with drone footage of the Red Cross vehicles driving away on a deserted street, the ambient audio has sounds of some cheering and clapping, though the video does not show anyone cheering.

The audio is mostly ambient audio of the scenes.

• Details of the truce extension: The two-day truce extension between Israel and Hamas was set to go into effect when hostages were released on Monday, according to Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israel's prime minister. US President Joe Biden praised the pause in fighting and said in a statement, "We will not stop until all of the hostages held by Hamas terrorists are released."
• Logistical problems: Not all of the roughly 240 people seized during the October 7 terror attack on Israel are, or were, being held by Hamas, the militant group that launched the assault. CNN has previously reported that between 40 and 50 hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other militant groups. The truce agreement requires Hamas — and not another group — to hand over hostages.
• More hostages freed: The 11 hostages freed by Hamas on Monday were residents of kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, an official statement from the kibbutz said. They also all have dual citizenship, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson said. The hostages will undergo an initial medical assessment and then the Israeli forces will accompany them until they are reunited with their families, the Israel Defense Forces said.
• No Americans released Monday: Two American women abducted by Hamas on October 7 were not among those released Monday. So far, just 4-year-old American Abigail Edan was released on Sunday. Since the truce was extended two more days, that leaves open the possibility that the two women could be released on Tuesday or Wednesday, a White House official said.
• Latest death toll: More than 14,800 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza between October 7 and November 23, according to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank, which draws its data from Hamas-run health authorities in the Gaza Strip. That includes at least 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the statement said.
• What comes next: Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his country's military will fight with a stronger force when the truce is over – and the operation will be carried out across the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel and other locations in the Middle East this week. He will discuss sustaining the flow of aid into the enclave and "the future of Gaza" and the need for an independent Palestinian state, a State Department official said.
• Aid and hospitals in Gaza: A British-Palestinian surgeon who treated patients at hospitals in Gaza estimates that between 700 and 900 children have had limbs amputated since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7. CNN is not able to independently verify those estimated numbers. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported the delivery of 150 trucks of aid to northern Gaza, spanning from the start of the truce on Friday until Sunday evening.