In a significant development, Hamas militants in Gaza released three Israeli women who had been held hostage since October 7, 2023. The release, which took place on Monday in Gaza City’s Saraya Square, marks the first prisoner exchange under the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on Sunday morning.
Emotional Scenes as Hostages Freed
Dramatic drone footage captured the moment dozens of armed Hamas fighters escorted the three women to waiting Red Cross vehicles. The hostages, identified as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, appeared physically unharmed but emotionally shaken as they were handed over to Red Cross personnel.
Hundreds of onlookers had gathered to witness the high-stakes prisoner release. Many cheered and waved Palestinian flags as the women were driven away from the square under heavy security.
“It was like a scene from a movie. So much tension, so many guns. And then this incredible relief when we saw them being put into the Red Cross vans. I think many of us cried,”
an eyewitness told Reuters.
Joyful Reunions for Freed Captives
For the hostages, it was the end of a harrowing four-month ordeal. Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari were abducted by Hamas militants on October 7 while hiking near the Israel-Gaza border.
The women, all in their early 20s, were held in an unknown location in Gaza. Hamas had refused to provide proof of life, leaving their families sick with worry.
But on Monday, the three were reunited with their overjoyed mothers at the Erez Crossing between Israel and Gaza. Television footage showed the women running into their mothers’ arms, weeping with relief.
“I didn’t know if I would ever see her again,”
Doron’s mother Sara told Channel 12 news, sobbing. “My baby is home. I can’t stop touching her face.”
Hamas Hails ‘Victory’, Israel Vows to Bring Abductors to Justice
For Hamas, the hostage release was a chance to claim a propaganda win after heavy losses during the fierce three-day battle with Israel that ended on Sunday.
“This is a great victory for the Palestinian resistance,”
senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya declared at the release ceremony. “We have shown that Israel must pay a price for its crimes.”
But Israeli officials vowed to bring those behind the kidnapping to justice, even as they expressed relief at the hostages’ safe return.
“This was an unjustifiable and barbaric abduction of innocent civilians,”
said Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. “We will not rest until the perpetrators are found and punished to the full extent of the law.”
Prisoner Exchange Key to Ceasefire Deal
The release of the three Israeli women was a key condition of the Egypt-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that ended the bloodiest fighting since the 2023 war.
In exchange for freeing the hostages, Israel agreed to release 20 female Palestinian prisoners, with more releases to follow in the coming weeks. The deal also included easing some restrictions on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
While the prisoner swap provides some immediate relief for the traumatized hostages and their families, it remains to be seen whether the fragile ceasefire will hold. Many thorny issues remain unresolved in the decades-old conflict.
But for today, the sight of Romi, Doron and Emily back in their mothers’ embrace sparks a flicker of hope that even the most intractable of conflicts may have a human solution. In their tears of joy, we glimpse the possibility of a future where no more mothers have to weep for captive daughters, and no more innocent lives are shattered by the cruel vagaries of war.
