Who are the 3 Israelis released on the first day of the Gaza ceasefire?
Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher were freed in a tense handover to the Red Cross on a Gaza City street on Sunday
03:53
Israel, Hamas begin hostage-prisoner swap as fragile Gaza ceasefire begins
The truce and release of hostages sparked hope and trepidation among Israelis. Many fear that the three-phase deal could collapse before all the hostages return, or that they will arrive in poor health. Others worry that the number of captives who have died is more than predicted.
Some 250 people were kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that triggered 15 months of war. Around 100 hostages still remain in Gaza, after the rest were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered.
Hours before Sunday’s ceasefire, which many hope is the first step to end the war, Israel announced that it had retrieved the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas war and whose remains have been held by the militants since then.
Here’s a look at the three hostages released on Sunday:
Romi Gonen, 24
