For the families, they’ve been waiting a long time—471 days, to be exact. And now, for a few of them, at least, it’s a time to rejoice as Hamas turned over three hostages taken in their savage October 7, 2023 attack. The handover came after Israel and Hamas finally reached a ceasefire deal that took effect Sunday morning.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted the first images of the freed hostages on X. They are seen exiting a Red Cross vehicle at a drop-off point surrounded by the Israeli military.
This is what we’ve been fighting for, for over 471 days. Welcome home Emily, Doron and Romi 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/VIXyaP1ntY
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 19, 2025
As our Susie Moore reported earlier Sunday, the names of the now-free hostages are: Doron Steinbrecher, Romi Gonen, and Emily Damari.
