Abigail Idan’s grandfather, excited about his 4-year-old granddaughter’s return to Israel, thanked US President Joe Biden on Sunday night for the role he played in her release after 50 days of being held hostage by Hamar.

“I’m grateful to Biden. We love it for all the help it gives us and also to all Americans, thank you very much. We love you. Keep supporting us. We are a democracy,” grandfather Carmel Idan told Reuters.

“I couldn’t believe it until I saw it. For a moment, I didn’t believe it,” he said while waiting for the little girl to return to Israel, after her release in Gaza.

Despite his joy at Abigail’s return, Carmel Idan mourns her parents, Roy and Shmadar, who were killed by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7.

President Biden, announcing her release earlier, said the little girl saw her parents killed in front of her and had been living in captivity ever since. “What he experienced is unimaginable,” he emphasized.

Although about 40 Israeli hostages have been freed, the grandfather said much work remains to be done. “There are other people who still haven’t returned. I really want them to come back and the army to finish its mission as promised,” he added, referring to the Israeli government’s commitment to return all hostages and eliminate Hamas.