Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher returned to Israel
The agony of Romi Gonen, 24 years old, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, is over: after more than 15 months of captivity, the three Israeli civilians were released this Sunday (19th), as part of the agreement between Israel and Hamas on an initial 42-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The women were handed over by the Islamic fundamentalist group to Red Cross workers, who took them to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Netzarim corridor, a strip that runs through the center of the Palestinian enclave between the border with Israel and the Mediterranean Sea .
“The government of Israel warmly welcomes the three freed women. Their families have been informed by the relevant authorities that they have been released and returned to our forces,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. “The government is committed to rescuing all hostages and missing persons,” he stressed.
Steinbrecher and Damari, who also has British citizenship, were abducted from a kibbutz in Kfar Aza in the attacks on October 7, 2023, while Gonen was at the Supernova Festival, one of the main targets of the Hamas attacks. According to information released by the local press, they are all in good health.
Steinbrecher is a veterinarian and was in her apartment at the time of the attacks. At the time he even sent a voice message to family members: “They came and took me.” Damari, captured on the same kibbutz, was shot in the hand and blindfolded by terrorists, who took her to Gaza in her own car.
Gonen, in turn, was in a vehicle with friends at the Supernova Festival and even called his mother while trying to escape Hamas. “I got shot, I’m bleeding,” the young woman said on the call. According to the Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, in exchange for the three hostages, Israel will release 90 Palestinian prisoners from its prisons, including 69 women and 21 minors. Of these, 76 came from the occupied West Bank and 14 from East Jerusalem.
Among those likely to be released is Khalida Jarrar, a lawmaker from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group considered “terrorist” by the Israeli government, the United States and the European Union. Jarrar was arrested in the West Bank in December 2023 and was being held in prison with no formal charges against her.
Of the 251 people abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, 91 remain unknown, and the Israeli military believes 34 have already died in captivity. .
Source: Terra

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.