MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

One Briton among three Israeli hostages released by Hamas

Damari was in a joyful mood despite her bandaged hand lacking two fingers reportedly lost during her abduction in Kibbutz Kfar Aza

Three Israeli women who had been held hostage by the pro-Palestine terrorist group Hamas were set free Sunday in exchange for dozens of convicted organization operatives as the ceasefire brokered together with Qatar, Egypt, and the United States became effective.

Romi Gonen (24), Emily Damari (28), and Doron Shtanbar Khair (31) were handed over to the Red Cross, who had never visited them during their 471 days in captivity, to be driven back to Israeli territory. Damari was pictured in a joyful mood by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) upon arrival, despite her bandaged hand lacking two fingers, which she reportedly lost after being wounded by gunfire on the day of her abduction. All three women are civilians. Gonen was kidnapped during the attack on the Nova music festival, and Damary and Streinbrecher (31) were captured in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Upon returning to Israeli territory, the hostages reunited with their mothers as no immediate medical attention was deemed necessary. However, protocols in force recommend a minimum hospital stay of four days for the returning hostages due to concerns about possible exposure to pathogens.

Earlier Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to call off the deal after delays on Hamas' side announcing the names of those to be released in the first phase of the truce, which the pro-Palestinian group insists on dubbing a “prisoner exchange deal” making no distinction between hostages captured by force for no legal reason and terrorists tried and convicted for violent crimes. The three civilian women were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas raid in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were kidnapped into Gaza.

”The Red Cross reported that the three Israeli hostages were transferred to them and are on their way to IDF (military) and ISA (security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip,“ an official statement read. The hostages were said to be in good health after going ”through hell.“

”I know, we all know, they went through hell. They are coming out of darkness into light, out of slavery into freedom,“ Netanyahu said.

”After 471 days, Emily is finally home. I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal and never stopped saying her name. In Israel, Britain, the United States, and around the world. Thank you for bringing Emily home,“ said Mandy Damari, the mother of the British-Israeli former captive.

”While Emily’s nightmare in Gaza is over, for too many other families, the impossible wait continues. Every last hostage must be released, and humanitarian aid must be provided to the hostages who are still waiting to come home. We ask that the media please respect Emily’s and our family’s privacy during this time,“ she added.

US President Joseph Biden welcomed the ceasefire: ”Today the guns in Gaza have gone silent,” he said.

Israel insisted that 98 hostages were still held in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 36 confirmed dead. The agreed first phase of the deal will see Hamas release 33 hostages in 42 days: children, women, female soldiers, the elderly, and the sick, while Israel will release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terror attacks and assassinations. The deal has sparked mixed reactions, with some viewing it as a necessary step towards peace, while others are concerned about the potential security risks. The ceasefire and exchange process will take place over several weeks.

According to Palestinian media, the handover to the Red Cross by the al Qasam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, took place in a central square in Gaza City, after which 90 Palestinian prisoners including women and children was to follow, most of them in the occupied West Bank, but 14 of them in East Jerusalem.