Three hostages released!
Spectacular handover in front of thousands of onlookers
The first three hostages have been handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. But the women had to go through hell again beforehand ...
The hostages are 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher (31). The three civilians are said to be in good condition. The women had to be escorted past thousands of onlookers.
A large number of Palestinians gathered next to the Red Cross vehicles in Saraya Square in the center of Gaza City, where Hamas handed over the three Israeli hostages. Some onlookers tried to jump onto the vehicles.
Pictures shared by Palestinian media showed dozens of Hamas fighters in the street. Hamas also published propaganda videos showing the release of Israeli prisoners in the course of the last hostage exchange.
Women soon with families
From the handover point, the women were taken to an army facility in Israel near the Gaza border for an initial examination. From there, they will eventually be transported to a clinic. Medical care is available for them, including pregnancy tests. They will then meet their families at the hospital.
The Israeli military confirmed the handover. They had "received notification from the Red Cross that Romi, Emily and Doron have been handed over to the ICRC and are on their way to the Israeli armed forces". Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: "They are now in safe hands. They are in our hands. They are coming home." Former Defense Minister Joav Gallant said on X: "Thank you for surviving the inferno. I'm sorry it took too long."
Around the same time, the first 90 or so Palestinian prisoners were released in Israel and taken by security forces either to the occupied West Bank or to Gaza.
Romi Gonen was kidnapped from the Nova music festival near the border with the Gaza Strip and injured in the process. The 24-year-old's father told the news website "ynet" before her release that the family had waited more than 11,000 hours for this moment.
The two other women were taken hostage from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Emily Damari has both Israeli and British citizenship. Doron Steinbrecher also has Romanian citizenship.
Exodus has begun
The start of the ceasefire has prompted thousands of Palestinians to leave refugee camps, as pictures from the Gaza Strip show. The scenes resemble an exodus.
People are now on their way to their homes, which in most cases are probably just rubble and ashes. The majority are apparently heading back to the north.
Hamas fighters celebrate in the streets
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, videos have also been circulating of Hamas fighters coming out of hiding to celebrate the survival of the terrorist group in the streets. The scenes show how fragile this temporary peace is (see tweet below).
According to reports, the Israeli military has already withdrawn from parts of the Gaza Strip. The troops are currently withdrawing from parts of both the north and the south of the enclave, according to several media reports. The information could not initially be independently verified.
First hurdle cleared
Israel and Hamas had agreed on an initial 42-day ceasefire mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the USA. During this time, 33 of the 97 Israeli hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip are to be exchanged for 1904 imprisoned Palestinians.
The first phase of the agreement also provides for a rapid improvement in the supply of food for the more than two million inhabitants of Gaza, 90 percent of whom suffer from hunger according to UN figures. In addition, the Israeli army must withdraw from population centers in the Gaza Strip. The next prisoner exchange is planned for Saturday.
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