'Thank you for your extraordinary humanity': Israeli hostage pens letter for Hamas

Danielle Aloni, an Israeli mother, expressed her heartfelt gratitude for Hamas fighters in a letter she wrote for the care they gave to her five-year-old daughter, Emilia, during their 49-day captivity in besieged Gaza.

The mother-daughter duo, held hostage by Hamas since October 7, finally reunited with their relatives after being released on November 24 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal between the Palestinian resistance group and Israel, TRT World reported.

Aloni wrote the letter before leaving Gaza to reunite with her family in Israel and thanked the group for its extraordinary humanity towards her daughter.

She wrote: "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your extraordinary humanity shown towards my daughter, Emilia."

The letter, originally written in Hebrew, was shared Monday on the official Telegram account of Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, along with an Arabic translation and a photograph of the mother and daughter.

In her handwritten letter in Hebrew, Danielle wrote: "She (Emilia) acknowledges feeling like all of you are her friends, not just friends, but truly beloved and good".

She also acknowledged Hamas fighters for the good care they gave hostages in Gaza and wrote: "Thank you for the many hours you spent as caregivers."

She further revealed that her daughter has not only bonded with Hamas fighters but also "felt like a queen."

"Children should not be in captivity, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way, my daughter felt like a queen in Gaza," she said. "In the long journey, we have been on, we have not met anyone who has not been kind to her, you have treated her with kindness and compassion."

Aloni ended her letter with compassion for Hamas, stating: "I will remember your kind behaviour shown in spite of the difficult situation you faced and the severe losses you suffered here in Gaza."

"I wish in this world we could truly be good friends," she wrote and added her well wishes to Gazans, "I wish you all health and well-being... health and love to you and your families' children."

Danielle and Emilia Aloni, who were taken hostage while visiting Danielle's sister and her family at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, were among 24 Israeli hostages released by Hamas on November 24.

Previously, Hamas fighters shared a video online in which Danielle and two other hostages were seen calling out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to have the hostages released sooner.