The Israeli army announced on Sunday afternoon the release of the first three Israeli hostages.
Three Israeli women held hostage by Hamas were released this Sunday after nearly 15 months of captivity.
After being picked up by the Red Cross in Saraya Square in Gaza City, the three women were handed over to the Israeli army, the IDF announced on Sunday, a few hours after the ceasefire took effect. -fire between Israel and Hamas.
Back on Israeli territory, they received a first medical examination and were able to reunite with their mothers. They were then to be transferred to a hospital where other members of their families are waiting for them.
They are Romi Gonen, 24 years old, Emily Damari, 28 years old, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31 years old. The first was kidnapped at the Nova music festival, the other two in the Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Emily Damari has dual Israeli-British citizenship.
Israeli media, broadcasting live footage from the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, showed the hostages walking between vehicles as their convoy passed through Gaza City, surrounded by a huge crowd, with many people holding up phones and filming .
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch the images on giant screens burst into joy. For months, many people had gathered on the “hostages square” to demand a ceasefire agreement.
Benjamin Netanyahu said the three former hostages had “went through hell”and they came out “from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom”.
“Emily, Doron and Romi are finally on their way home. It’s a very emotional moment” said Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
“Seeing the hostages reunited with their families fills our hearts with hope”reacted the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The ceasefire agreement ushers in an initial six-week truce period and raises hopes for the release of dozens of hostages held by the Islamist group and an end to the devastating 15-month war . A last-minute delay by Hamas delayed the start of the truce by nearly three hours on Sunday morning and highlighted its fragility.
Even before the ceasefire took effect, celebrations took place in the enclave and some Palestinians began returning home. Israel had previously announced the names of the first three hostages released in exchange for the planned release of 90 Palestinian prisoners.
The truce, which began at 11:15 a.m. local time, is the first step towards the end of the conflict and the return of nearly 100 hostages kidnapped during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
