On Shabbos morning, officials of the Ashtrom Company announced the four remaining Israeli hostages in the Caribbean incident were released after the company handed over $200,000 in cash to the representative of the 300 Chinese workers who held the hostages.

As was reported (HERE on YWN) last week, the Chinese workers took about 15 Israelis hostage last week. They are all employees of Ashtrom, the Israeli firm overseeing a construction project.

The project was called off because a bank collapsed. The Chinese were angered when they heard they would not be paid, explaining each person paid about $15,000 to secure permits and get the construction job. They took the Israelis hostage and demanded payment.

The Israelis were taken hostage last Tuesday. Ashtrom immediately signaled it would comply with demands for payment to release the Israelis unharmed.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)