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.
More: Free at Last: Three More Hostages Are Now Home, Safe in Israel
Emily Damari was seen in social media pictures reunited with her mother while on a video call.
Damari met with her mother at an IDF facility near the Gaza border, per the Times of Israel.
Damari, who was wounded in a shooting on Oct. 7, 2023, lost two fingers during the assault, according to her family.
Emily is home ♥️ pic.twitter.com/JCMmKEAhKr
— Mandy Damari 🎗 (@DamariMandy) January 19, 2025
Emily Damari was taken hostage from her home after she was shot in the hand on October 7. That was 471 days ago – and as you can see here, her hand is bandaged and dirty.
Remember that when the terrorists try to tell you about how well these hostages have been treated. pic.twitter.com/NyTE2yCx0d
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 19, 2025
Her mother thanked all those responsible for making it happen:
“After 471 days – Emily is finally home,” her mother Mandy Damari said in a statement.
We would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts everyone who fought tirelessly for Emily throughout this difficult time. To everyone who raised her voice and called her name, in Israel, England, the United States and the whole world – thank you. Thanks to you, Emily came home.
“Emily’s nightmare in Gaza is over, but there are still too many families still waiting in pain. We must work together for the release of all the abductees, down to the last one. Those still in captivity need immediate humanitarian assistance.
“We ask the media to respect the privacy of Emily and our family at this time.”
As Susie Moore reported, these are the first three of 33 hostages set to be released during Phase 1 of the deal.
The kidnapped Emily Damari who was released from captivity today in a first conversation with her family. pic.twitter.com/RyKASwQyIu
— Eli Afriat 🇮🇱🎗 (@EliAfriatISR) January 19, 2025
While this is good news, and our hearts go out in happiness to the families who have welcomed their loved ones back, there are still many more in unknown condition held by the brutal terrorist group. Hamas’ savagery seemingly knows no bounds, and Oct. 7 will remain a dark day for humanity. We pray for those still held captive and hope to bring you more good news in the future.
