SAFE HAVEN
Israel unveils heartbreaking toy-filled rescue centre where freed children will be taken in ‘Operation Heaven’s Door’
Israeli officials explain how they will try to help traumatised young victims of murderous Hamas snatch squads
CHILDREN set to be freed from the clutches of evil Hamas terrorists will be welcomed by Israeli troops with open arms.
Heartbreaking photographs of a toy-filled rescue centre reveal the imminent reality of the first group of kids due to be released at 4pm today.
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Hamas has agreed to free at least 50 of the 240 hostages snatched on October 7 in return for 150 Palestinian prisoners.
Thirteen women and children will today be released from the Gaza Strip via Egypt and taken home to Israel.
It comes at the beginning of a four-day truce period, declared after nearly 50 days of bloody battle between Israel and Hamas.
Israel Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday morning: "In the past day, the IDF completed its preparation for the reception of the abductees who returned to Israel from the Gaza Strip.
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"As part of the preparation, the IDF set up and trained initial reception points, where a medical envelope will be provided if required and escort [hostages].
"After that, the returnees will continue to the hospitals where they will meet with their families."
Videos of the reception points show boxes of items including underwear, baby wipes, blankets, and sanitary products, tables and chairs and beanbags, and large buffet-style dishes of hot food - as well as teddy bears, colouring-in books, soccer balls, and stickers for the tiniest of the hostages.
The operation, dubbed "Heaven's Door", will see hostages including children brought by the IDF to the Hatzerim airbase in southern Israel where they will undergo a short physical and mental checkup.
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They will be provided with phones so they can call their relatives before being transported to hospital by helicopter or minibus.
Those in need of immediate medical attention will bypass the airbase and go straight from the border to hospital.
Psychologists and mental health experts will be there to greet the hostages and explain to the children what happened in their communities the day of the bloody massacres "when they believe the time is right", says Israeli journalist Emanuel Fabian.
The families of the released hostages are waiting at the hospitals, with hotel rooms reserved for them in the area.
Schneider Children's Medical Centre of Israel has recommended the children stay at least 48 hours under observation before going home.
The "Heaven's Door" process will be repeated over the next four days as the rest of the 50 hostages are released from Hamas captivity.
Israel has agreed to release 24 women and 15 teenage boys from jail today in exchange for the 13 hostages, a Palestinian official said.
A list of hostages set to be released today by Hamas includes Irish-Israeli nine-year-old Emily Hand, meaning she should soon be reunited with her distressed family.
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