Error at JFK Airport leads to one-hour detention of former Israeli hostage Liri Albag
The Albag family’s arrival at New York’s John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Airport triggered a security alert after the system incorrectly listed former hostage Liri Albag as still being held by Hamas, prompting concerns of identity fraud and resulting in her being detained for questioning for an hour.
The Albags decided to go on a much-needed vacation to the United States, arriving on Sunday, but they were met with an unexpected and unsettling surprise.
“Their system still showed her as a hostage – they hadn’t updated the records,” explained Eli Albag, the father of the family. He told Ynet News that although the situation was unpleasant, “it passed,” and noted, “It’s just a vacation. Liri wasn’t stressed.”
A spokesperson from the Customs and Border Protection confirmed the error, telling Jewish National Syndicate, “The traveler applied for admission at JFK and was referred for further inspection after she indicated she was a hostage of Hamas to the CBP officer.”
The statement continued, “A CBP inspection was completed, as may be done for anyone who has been in a similar national security situation, and she was promptly admitted into the United States on a tourist visa.”
Albag – a surveillance soldier who was serving on the Israel's border with Gaza when the Hamas invasion and terror attack took place on Oct. 7, 2023 – was kidnapped and held by the terror group for 477 days. She was released from captivity and returned home in February along with fellow hostages, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Agam Berger following a harrowing ordeal.
On Sunday, Albag was separated from her family and detained by JFK airport security. She was released only after swift intervention by Israeli officials, who were concerned the incident could cause her mental distress. According to Ynet, she was allowed to enter the U.S. following their efforts.
“We’ve arrived at our hotel, and everything’s okay. It’s behind us,” Eli said, according to Channel 12 News.
Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023, captured 251 hostages of whom 58 remain in captivity, less than half of which are thought to still be alive. A total of seven observation soldiers were taken captive, five of whom were released in hostage deals; a sixth, Ori Megidish, was rescued at the end of that month, while Noa Marciano was murdered by a physician at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Her body has since been recovered.
Surviving hostages who have returned to Israel have recounted harrowing experiences of abuse, starvation, and torture while in Hamas captivity. According to multiple reports, they were subjected to constant psychological and physical torment, including beatings, threats, and deliberate deprivation of food and medical care. Testimonies also describe being held in overcrowded conditions, denied basic hygiene, and forced to remain silent for long periods under the threat of violence. These accounts have added urgency to ongoing efforts to secure the release of those still held in Gaza.
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
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