Hamas released three Israeli hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip, and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, as part of a long-awaited ceasefire agreement that went into effect Sunday, more than 15 months into the war.
The three Israeli women, taken hostage by the militant group on Oct. 7, 2023, had been held in captivity for 471 days. Tearful scenes of them reuniting Sunday with their relatives and friends in Israel were broadcast across the country. “An entire nation embraces you. Welcome home!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X, addressing the women.
As part of the deal, Israel agreed to release 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for each civilian hostage returned. Israel freed 90 Palestinians early Monday – all of them women and teenagers – to families waiting in the cold outside Ofer Prison in the West Bank. Among the prisoners freed was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a politician and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization. According to Amnesty International, which fought for her release, Jarrar was repeatedly arrested by Israeli authorities in recent years and detained without being charged or receiving a trial.
Here’s what to know about the Israeli hostages released so far in this ceasefire.
Romi Gonen, 24
Gonen was attending the Nova music festival in southern Israel when Palestinian militants attacked the event and kidnapped her as she tried to escape, according to Israeli news outlets. Reuters reported that she is a dancer.
Gonen’s mother, Meirav Leshem Gonen, posted Sunday on Facebook that she was taking “a moment to breathe it in and believe in the reality” of her daughter’s release.
Emily Damari, 28
Damari was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel when Hamas militants stormed across the Israeli border. She is a dual citizen of Israel and Britain.
Damari’s family previously confirmed, via the Hostages Families Forum, that she lost two fingers on the day of her abduction after being shot at by members of Hamas. Her mother, Mandy, said she heard from hostages who were freed last year that her daughter was alive, and she received one sign of her daughter’s life – but then, nothing.
“Yesterday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” her mother said in a statement Monday. “I am relieved to report that after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated.”
Still, she added, “as wonderful as it is to see Emily’s resilience, these are still early days.”
Emily Damari posted on Instagram that she was “the happiest person in the world” and had “returned to my beloved life,” according to the Times of Israel.
Doron Steinbrecher, 31
Steinbrecher, a veterinary nurse with dual Romanian-Israeli citizenship, was taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. That day, she had called her mother, Simona, and said she was hiding under her bed because someone had broken into her room, her mother said in an editorial for the Financial Times.
“Ten minutes later, she sent a voice message to her friends – a message that said only one thing: ‘They’ve got me, they’ve got me,’” her mother wrote.
On Sunday, Steinbrecher’s family said in a statement: “After an unbearable 471 days, our beloved Dodo has finally returned to our arms.” They said Steinbrecher would begin her “rehabilitation journey” and urged officials to do everything they can to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
“My return home doesn’t mean those still there shouldn’t return – everyone must come back. I ask you to continue fighting, never give up, take to the streets, all phases of the deal must be implemented,” Doron said in a statement passed along by her sister Monday at a media event where hostages’ families spoke.