By AFP

Bulgaria on Saturday welcomed with “great relief” the release of Israeli-Bulgarian hostage Daniella Gilboa from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza.

Gilboa, 20, was one of four hostages freed Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday under a Gaza ceasefire deal.

“It is with great relief and joy that Bulgaria welcomes the release of the Bulgarian national Daniella Gilboa,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

“This positive development is the result of intensive diplomatic efforts in which Bulgaria actively participated,” it said.

Gilboa’s father is reportedly of Bulgarian origin.

Former prime minister Nikolay Denkov told Nova television earlier Saturday that Bulgaria had granted citizenship to some hostages — including Gilboa — to help secure their release.

Bulgaria thanked Qatar, Egypt and the United States for securing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of the hostages, the foreign ministry said, adding it hoped for the release of the others.

During their October 7, 2023, attack that began the war, Hamas militants took 251 hostages, 87 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military said are dead.

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