Glued to the news, Israelis breathed a collective sigh of relief Sunday (Jan. 19), when Romi Golan, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher set foot in Israel, the first of the remaining hostages to be released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal finalized Friday.
The Red Cross transferred the three women from Gaza City to the outskirts of Gaza, where they were met by the Israeli military and then transported to Israel.
Thousands of people gathered in what has come to be known as “Hostage Square” in central Tel Aviv to watch live updates on a vast video screen. News that the hostages appeared to be in relatively good physical condition despite 15 months in captivity brought many to tears. Golan had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival, while Damari and Steinbrecher had both been taken from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on southern Israel, which left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage.
90 hostages remain in captivity
Amid the joy Sunday were fears the ceasefire could collapse at any moment, leaving more than 90 hostages in Hamas captivity.
“Romi, Emily and Doron — so beloved and missed — an entire nation rejoices at your return,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog told the nation. “At this moment our hearts are with all the anxious and grieving families whose loved ones have not yet returned. We will not rest until we bring back all our sisters and brothers from the hell of captivity in Gaza, the living to their families and the fallen and murdered to be laid to rest in dignity.”
The day was bittersweet for the families of hostages who were not scheduled for release during the ceasefire’s first phase, expected to last six weeks. The hope of seeing their loved ones again remains postponed and dependent on all actors keeping to the terms of the deal.
The ceasefire includes the gradual release by Hamas of 33 hostages during the first phase of the deal. In exchange, Israel has agreed to release an estimated 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detained Gazans. The 90 Palestinian prisoners set to be released Sunday in exchange for the three Israeli hostages included 69 women and 21 teenage boys, none of them prominent detainees.
However, among the remaining Palestinian prisoners to be released over the course of the ceasefire are members of militant groups responsible for attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis. Also set to be released are 1,000 Palestinians detained since Oct. 7, if they are proven to have not participated in the attacks that day.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Michele Chabin and originally published by Religion News Service.
