Following a ceasefire implemented for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has freed three Israeli hostages, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher. They were handed over to the Israeli Red Cross, as confirmed by Hamas. In a statement after their release, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "Today, the guns have fallen silent in Gaza."
Images show the Israeli hostages, Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, walking unaided. Hamas confirmed they officially handed over the three women hostages to the Red Cross in Al-Saraya Square, western Gaza City. This occurred after a Red Cross member confirmed the hostages' well-being with Hamas fighters.
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'Today, the guns have fallen silent in Gaza' - Biden
Following the release of Israeli hostages, U.S. President Joe Biden remarked, "The Gaza ceasefire agreement has succeeded. Hundreds of aid trucks are entering Gaza. After so much pain and destruction, today, the guns are silent. We've arrived here without a major war in the Middle East, as many predicted. Implementing the Gaza agreement now rests with the Trump administration. There is no concern about Hamas regrouping."
Source: aajtak
Ninety Palestinians to Be Released in Exchange for Three Hostages
In return for the release, plans are made to free 90 Palestinian prisoners, including 69 women. The youngest prisoner is a 15-year-old, Mahmoud Aliwat. Those being released include Khalida Jarrar, a 62-year-old prominent member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), frequently detained by Israel for non-violent political protests.
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Notable Names Among Those Released from Israeli Jail
Dalal Khasib, sister of former Hamas leader Saleh Arouri, will also be released. Her brother was killed in a January 2024 Israeli attack in southern Beirut. Abla Abd al-Rasoul, 68, wife of PFLP leader Ahmad Sa'adat imprisoned for ordering the 2001 murder of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi, is set to be released.
