Three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were reunited with their mothers in Israel on Sunday, following a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending a 15-month-long conflict.
The hostages, including British national Emily Damari, were released after a protracted ordeal that began with their abduction on 7 October 2023.
Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were handed over to the International Committee for the Red Cross in Gaza City on Sunday afternoon.
Following their transfer, they were flown to Sheba Medical Center for medical evaluations.
On Sunday evening, the Israeli military confirmed the reunion of the three hostages with their mothers at a meeting point inside Israel, close to the kibbutz and music festival site where they were abducted.
In images released by the Damari family, Emily can be seen embracing her mother, Mandy, and talking to her brother on the phone.
Another image shows her gesturing happily to a crying family member, with a bandaged hand, after being shot during her abduction.
Earlier, live footage broadcast by Al Jazeera captured the handover as a white minivan arrived at al-Saraya Square in Gaza City carrying the hostages.
They were then escorted by Hamas fighters and pressed by crowds taking photos and chanting support for Hamas.
The handover was confirmed by Israeli, Hamas, and Red Cross officials shortly after 5pm local time (1500 GMT), with reports from the Red Cross stating the women were “in good health.”
“The three hostages were officially handed over to the Red Cross at al-Saraya Square in the al-Rimal neighbourhood,” a senior Hamas official told Agence France-Presse. “A Red Cross representative ensured their wellbeing before they were handed over to Israeli forces.”
The joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet domestic security agency confirmed the safe transfer of the three hostages.
They were accompanied by an elite IDF unit and Shin Bet force en route to Israel for further medical assessments.
On Sunday night, the hostages were described as being in a “stable condition” by officials at Sheba Medical Center.
The three, two of whom sustained injuries during their captivity, are the first of 33 hostages—comprising women, children, the ill, and elderly—scheduled for release in the first phase of a complex three-phase hostage deal.
Video footage earlier showed a convoy of four white Red Cross vehicles heading to Gaza City to collect the hostages, later surrounded by armed Hamas members.
The hostages were then handed over to Israeli forces before being flown back to hospitals in Israel.
The release took place as Israel prepared to release 90 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank as part of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas has stated that the 90 Palestinians to be freed will include 69 women and 21 teenage boys.
Significant challenges remain, including the lack of a detailed plan to rebuild Gaza or govern it after the conflict.
Israel has made it clear that any return of Hamas to control will require the full dismantling of the militant group.
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