Jerusalem: Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, announced on Sunday that it would release three Israeli female hostages as part of the initial phase of its ceasefire agreement with Israel. While Israel has yet to confirm the identities of the women, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has identified them, according to Reuters.
One of the women, Gonen, a 23-year-old dancer, was abducted during the Nova music festival attack by Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023. She had spent hours hiding from the attackers alongside friends before being shot in the hand. In a phone conversation with her family, she said, “I am going to die today,” before the last words they overheard were the attackers saying, “she’s alive, let’s take her.” Her phone was later traced to a location in the Gaza Strip.
Steinbrecher, a 30-year-old veterinary nurse, was taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit communities during the Hamas assault. Hours after the attack began, she called her parents, expressing fear as gunmen arrived at her building. She later sent a voice message to her friends saying, “They have arrived, they have me.”
The third woman, Damari, 28, a British-Israeli from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, was also abducted by Hamas. She was injured in the hand and leg, shot and blindfolded before being forcibly taken to Gaza. Damari, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, was taken in her own car, driven by the attackers.
Ceasefire offers brief relief
On Sunday, Palestinians returned to the rubble of their homes in the Gaza Strip, while Israelis prepared to receive hostages freed by Hamas following a ceasefire agreement. The war, ignited on October 7, 2023, has devastated Gaza. It has left tens of thousands dead and most of its 2.3 million residents homeless.
The ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US offers temporary relief, but its durability is uncertain. The delay in the ceasefire’s start led to Israeli airstrikes, killing 13 Palestinians. The delay was attributed to Hamas’ late submission of the first list of hostages, partly due to Israeli bombardment.
