"They're home": How Hamas released Israel hostages Romi, Emily, Doron in 1st phase of ceasefire deal

Jan 20, 2025

In a major breakthrough, the first set of three Israeli hostages have been handed over to Israel on January 19, 2025. The implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, came into effect today. The three hostages --Romi Gnen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher-- are set to be reunited with their families after 471 days. According to the latest update by IDF, the 3 hostages have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Hamas has released the three hostages and that they have returned to Israeli territory. Notably, the deal was delayed as Israeli PM Netanyahu stated that Israel would not proceed until Hamas provided the list of hostages to be released. Notably, the total number of Palestinians released will depend on hostages released, and could be between 990 and 1,650 Palestinians. After over a year of conflict which shook West Asia, the release of hostages marks embracing the possibilities of peace treaties