Nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand has been reunited with her family 50 days after being kidnapped by Hamas.
Footage shows the moment she was met by her father Tom following her release as part of a deal that saw 16 others also freed.
The releases came following a Friday agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is supposed to last four days and allow for 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinians to be let go.
Emily had been abducted while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Be'eri, along with her 13-year-old friend Hila, who was also released by Hamas yesterday.
Hila's mother Raya Rotem, 54, is still being held in Gaza.
Emily was initially reported dead, but was later counted among the hostages.
"Emily has come back to us!" cheered her father, Thomas Hand.
"We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days. We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hundreds of hostages who have yet to return."
Emily, whose mother died of cancer when she was two-and-a-half years old, celebrated her 9th birthday in captivity on 17 November, according to her father.
"She spent her birthday in the tunnels of Gaza," he said at a gathering in her honour in London that day.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said a nation's prayers were answered as it was announced that Emily had been released from captivity in Gaza.
"An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and our country breathes a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered," he said.
"When I met Tom and Natali in Dublin, their pain was etched on their faces, but so was their courage and determination to ensure that Emily would be freed. I shared their grief and was inspired by their example. Irish people everywhere share in the relief of Emily's family," Mr Varadkar said in a statement.
"Emily now returns to her family, but we cannot forget that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. Their fate is unknown, but we hope that like Emily, they will also be allowed to return to their homes and their families.
"We think of all the families suffering in this troubled region, and we redouble our efforts to work for a permanent ceasefire, and for a just a lasting peace," the Taoiseach said.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, welcomed the release of Emily.
In a statement, Mr Martin said that this is a "precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family."
"I want to acknowledge the role played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and others that have been involved in securing the release of the hostages.
"I am conscious today that many more hostages remain in the hands of Hamas. I reiterate my call that all hostages in Gaza should be released immediately and unconditionally," Mr Martin said.
Meanwhile Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also welcomed Emily Hand being freed from captivity in Gaza and said Ireland must remain a voice for peaceful dialogue on the international stage.
"The trauma and heartbreak that little Emily and her family have been subjected to over the last number of weeks is unimaginable," she said.
"I commend the mediators' efforts, including the government of Qatar and all other neighbouring states, for the constructive role that they have played in securing the release of Emily and the other hostages, as well as Palestinian women and children who were imprisoned under administrative detention, who are finally reuniting with their loved ones today," Ms McDonald added.
In total, 13 Israelis and four Thai nationals were released to the International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday, according to Qatar's foreign ministry.
There had been a brief disruption to the deal after Hamas accused Israel of not adhering to it, but the disagreement was overcome after mediation with Qatar and Egypt.
"13 Israelis and 4 foreigners were received by ICRC and on their way to Rafah," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al Ansari, said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
TV images showed Red Cross vehicles at Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
A Palestinian official familiar with the diplomacy said Hamas would continue with the four-day truce agreed with Israel, the first break in fighting in seven weeks of war.
Al Ansari earlier said a brief delay and obstacle to the hostage release were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, adding that 39 Palestinian civilians were being released in exchange.
