IDF Soldiers Found DNA Traces Of Hostage Liri Albag In Gazan Children’s Room

NEW YORK (VINnews) — In a moving interview with the British-based Daily Mail, the Albag family described their stress and anxiety for their daughter and sister Liri, held hostage by Hamas since October 7th.

Liri’s older sisters Roni and Shay Albag decided not to dress up this Purim, but rather to share old photos of Liri’s Purim outfits in an attempt to persuade negotiators to show more urgency in reaching an agreement which could free her.

In the candid interview, the Albag sisters shared several pictures of Liri dressed up on Purim at different stages in her life.

Liri as a caterpillar with older sister Shay

Liri dressed up on Purim

Liri dressed as Minnie Mouse
Israeli troops recently found blood traces from Liri Albag in a room 130 feet underground in a tunnel in Gaza. The soldiers shared a picture with the Mail of the room, which has children’s toys and a pink wardrobe.

DNA testing confirmed that the blood belongs to the 19 year old.

Liri has now spent 170 days in captivity and was previously moved between family homes in Gaza, where she was used as a servant and forced to clean and cook for the families and take care of their children.

She previously appeared in a video from captivity alongside 3 other captive teenage girls, showing visible signs of abuse.

Liri in captivity

‘It’s hard to look at, it feels like another life,’ said Shay, 22, as she flicked through the photo album with the Daily Mail at the family home in Yarhiv, central Israel.

‘This is not a happy holiday. We’re not going to drink and we’re not going to party or celebrate, because she’s sitting there in the tunnels in Gaza. It’s very hard for us.’

Roni, 25, who is sitting beside her, says: ‘As I look at the pictures, she’s so young and so happy. It’s very hard to think about this – it’s very hard to think about her.’

‘Thousands of years ago an evil man named Haman wanted to kill all the Jewish people in the world,’ said Shay. ‘It is the same today. Hamas wanted to kill us all on October 7.’

‘I have a dream that Liri is coming home,’ said Liri’s mother Shira. ‘When she’s coming home she will say, ‘Mum, it wasn’t so bad, they treated me nicely.’ I hope that this dream will come true’

Liri was kidnapped on Oct. 7th from Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, with teenagers Naama Levy, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev and Agam Berger.

The only sign of life they have had is when hostages were released in November and the family can now disclose that they revealed the depraved conditions in which she is being held.

‘She was drinking salt water from the sea and not much food. That was 112 days ago. From then, we have heard nothing.’

They can also say for the first time how the IDF managed to track down where Liri and some other girls were held in their first few days in Gaza.

Soldiers identified their DNA from traces of blood and exclusively shared a picture with the Mail of the room which has children’s toys and a pink wardrobe.

‘At first when I saw it, I was happy because she was in a child’s room,’ said Shira. ‘There were kids clothes in the cupboard and it gave me a little relief that she wasn’t in a scary place.

‘But then I understood that she is with a family – they kidnapped her, not Hamas. It’s the equivalent of me keeping someone else’s children locked in my house.’

Released hostages told how Liri was forced to clean the family’s toilets and cook them food which she herself was not allowed to eat. She only had her first shower after 37 days.

Liri was then moved into the tunnels, and now they do not know where she is. Her sisters miss her dearly.

‘We are best friends, and we do everything together,’ said Roni. ‘Now whenever I do something I want to tell her – but she’s not there.’

They are so upset the family, which also includes brother Guy, 15, and father Eli, 54, have not had a single meal together since she has gone as it is ‘not right’ without her.

With pressure building for a hostage deal in Qatar this week, the family are hoping for a Purim-esque miracle that saves Liri from the clutches of Hamas.