Hamas has released three Israeli hostages — the first of 33 they are set to hand over during the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire that came into effect Sunday. The three are now with the Israeli military in Gaza, who are in the process of bringing them to Israel, CNN reported. They are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari.
The three hostages were first handed over to the the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, which later transferred them to the Israeli military, the latter said in a statement.
Gonen, Steinbrecher, and Damari had been in Hamas custody since October 7, 2023, and had been held in Gaza.
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According to the CNN, the handover took place in front of a large crowd that had gathered at Al-Saraya Junction in Gaza City. Masked militants from Al Qassam Brigades of Hamas and the Al-Quds Brigades of Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also present.
They’re home. 💛 pic.twitter.com/PHkJ3yZLrV
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 19, 2025
Red Cross has told Israel that an initial medical examination of the hostages was done, and that they were found to be in good health, the CNN report said, quoting an Israeli official.
There were reports of celebration in Tel Aviv as the news of the release of three Israeli hostages reached them. The crowd hugged each other and cheered hearing the confirmation on a large television screen at the Hostages Square, broadcasting Al Jazeera news.
“After so much pain, destruction, loss of life, today, the guns in Gaza have gone silent,” Joe Biden said Sunday on his last day as US President.
“The deal that I first put forward last May for the Middle East has finally come to fruition. The ceasefire has gone into effect in Gaza, and today, we’re seeing hostages being released, three Israeli women held against (their) will in the dark tunnels for 470 days,” he said.
IDF Begins Partial Withdrawal From Gaza
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces have started partial withdrawal from Gaza. CNN reported that the military has withdrawn from locations in both southern and northern Gaza, as per the terms of the ceasefire.
During the first 42 days, according to the deal, Israel is mandated to withdraw from population centres but will remain present along Gaza borders and on a road that divides the territory.
Israel is to release 90 prisoners Sunday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, which has released a list. As many as 60 of these 90 are women, and there are nine minors too.
According to reports, there are nearly 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. With the ceasefire in place, Gazans displaced by the war have started returning home. Aid trucks have also crossed into the enclave.
