Key Points Summary – Former Hostage Detained by ICE

• Former Israeli hostage Liri Albag detained by ICE at JFK Airport
• The system flagged her as still held by Hamas despite her release in February
• She was held for 477 days after the October 7 attacks
• Albag was released during a brief cease-fire earlier this year
• Her father says the incident was “unpleasant,” but resolved quickly

ICE Flags Released Hostage as Still Missing

Israeli woman Liri Albag, who survived 477 days of brutal captivity by Hamas, was detained again—this time at JFK Airport by U.S. immigration officers who believed she was still being held hostage.

Albag, 19, had traveled to New York with friends on vacation when American customs systems raised a red flag. According to Channel 12 News, the Israeli television outlet that first reported the story, the system had not yet updated her hostage status.

System Fails to Reflect Her Freedom

ICE agents reportedly questioned Albag for nearly an hour upon arrival, concerned that her identity might have been stolen or faked. Officials believed it was possible someone else was using her name, assuming she remained in captivity.

Her father, Eli Albag, told Israeli media the incident was quickly resolved. “Their system still showed her as a hostage. They hadn’t updated the records. It’s just a vacation. Liri wasn’t stressed. It was unpleasant, but it passed,” he told Ynetnews.

Survivor of Hamas Horror in Gaza

Albag had been captured by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, while serving as a lookout with the Israeli Defense Forces at the Nahal Oz base near the Gaza border. She was taken into Gaza and held for nearly 16 months.

Her release came in February as part of a fragile cease-fire deal brokered by Qatar. That agreement briefly paused the violence and saw a limited number of hostages freed before the truce collapsed.

“We Were Simply Afraid”

In her first televised interview since her release, Albag recounted the terror of her abduction and the long nightmare of captivity. “They told us, ‘If you listen to us, we won’t kill you. You’re coming with us to Gaza.’ And we told them, ‘Yes, take us to Gaza’ because we were simply afraid,” she told Channel 12.

“The truth is that October 7 feels like one long nightmare, and I’ve been waiting for someone to wake me up,” she added. “But that didn’t happen. Unfortunately, this has all been real.”

No Official Apology, But No Drama

There has been no formal apology issued by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. However, sources say the incident is being reviewed, and steps may be taken to update flagged databases more quickly in cases involving international hostages.

Albag’s father praised his daughter’s resilience, saying she handled the unexpected scrutiny in New York with calm. “She was ready for anything,” he said. “She’s been through worse.”