Israelis rejoice as 3 hostages returned after more than 470 days in Gaza
Carrying her small daughter, an Israeli mother stood amid a crowd of people next to the helipad of the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, which on Sunday received the three former hostages released in a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas.
“How good is it that you’ve come home,” read a sign in Hebrew held by the young daughter.
The helicopters, which took off from southern Israel, near the Gaza border, carried Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari – the first of 33 hostages set for release during the first phase of the deal that went into effect Sunday morning.
The three women were kidnapped by Hamas during its attack on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 250 others captive.
Footage shared by the Israeli government shows the three women arriving at the hospital, draped in Israeli flags and embracing their families.
Near the Sheba hospital, a group of Israelis played music and sang patriotic songs on Sunday night. As medical vehicles carried the hostages from helicopters to the medical facility, dozens chased the vans, chanting their names.
“Thank you, thank you,” one woman cried as she was embraced by another.
Released hostage Emily Damari is the "happiest girl in the world," her mother says
Emily Damari, one of the three hostages released by Hamas on Sunday, is the “happiest girl in the world” now that she is out of Gaza, according to her mother.
“Yesterday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” Mandy Damari said in a statement on Monday.
“I am relieved to report that after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated. I am also happy that during her release, the world was given a glimpse of her feisty and charismatic personality,” she added.
“In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world; she has her life back,” she said.
Emily Damari, a 28-year-old British-Israeli national, was released by Hamas alongside hostages Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, on Sunday, in the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel also returned 90 Palestinian prisoners – including 69 women and nine children.
Damari’s mother said that, while this is an “incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain (in Gaza).
“The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families,” she said.
Hamas gave the three hostages "gift bags" upon their release. This is what was inside
When Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, released its propaganda video of three Israeli hostages being released Sunday night, there was a striking detail.
As Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari got into a Red Cross SUV in Gaza City, a Hamas militant handed each of them a paper bag with the Qassam Brigades’ logo on it – a “gift bag,” of sorts.
The masked militant then held up a certificate that, in Hebrew and Arabic, read “release decision.”
Each of the three women was carrying the bag in footage released later Sunday by the Israel Defense Forces – albeit this time with the Qassam’ Brigades logo blurred.
A representative of Gonen’s family told CNN on Monday that the bag she received held the certificate, a necklace and photos – and said that Israel’s Internal Security Agency (the Shin Bet) had confiscated the materials.
They would not go into detail about the photo, but Israeli media reports that the photos depicted the women’s time in captivity.
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