Hope, but 'excruciating' wait

Abigail Edan, a 3-year-old Israeli American, was orphaned when her parents were killed by militants. "Her parents were killed in front of her, and her brother and sister were hiding for 14 hours in the closet," said Sophie Plapp, a cousin to the 3-year-old's grandmother.

Now the family waits and hopes that Abigail is among the hostages released after news of a truce between Israel and Hamas was announced. The deal calls for Hamas to free 50 of the estimated 240 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, beginning Thursday. Three of them could be Americans, according to multiple media reports citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Liz Hirsh Naftali, Abigail’s great-aunt, told CNN about the “excruciating” wait to hear whether her great-niece is being released. "We have spent the last seven weeks worrying, wondering, praying, hoping,” she said.

Israel has agreed to free 150 women and children from among the hundreds of Palestinians detained since Oct. 7. Details on when and how the hostages would be freed were not immediately revealed.

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