I hugged my mother and daughters

Ukrainian captive Irina Sarahna, who was released from Israeli prisons, on Tuesday, among 27 women and 450 men in exchange for the Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, hugged her children Ghazala and Yasmin for the first time, after 9 years of captivity. During a meeting between the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and the freed prisoners in Ramallah, Sarahna said in an Interview with "Arabs Today" that she is very astonished of implementing such an agreement between Hamas and Israel to release prisoners, and what surprised her more was hugging her daughters, who waited for her since 6 o'clock in the morning at the Israeli military checkpoint near Ofer camp, north of Ramallah. She Added: "Today, I Hugged my mother who came from Ukraine with my two daughters Yasmin and Ghazala who live in their Grandfather's house in Duhaisha. Today I hold them for the first time since 9 years." Ukrainian captive added: "I'm very sorry for leaving my husband Ibrahim Sarahna in prison where he serves a life sentence and that is what plagued our joy, because our family reunion will not be completed unless my husband is free and able to come back to Bethlehem, where I am going to live with my daughters.” Irena was arrested in 2002 with her husband Ibrahim Sarahna, From Duhaisha camp near Bethlehem, and was sentenced then to 40 years. Irena's daughter Ghazala said: "this is the first time I hold my mother; I was always seeing her behind the bars. Thank God, I felt warmth and tenderness, after many years of deprivation and being away from our mother. We hope our father would be released in other deals."