“They are coming out of darkness into light, out of slavery into freedom,” said the Israeli prime minister.
Benjamin Netanyahu He said on Sunday that the three hostages released on Sunday during the truce agreement in Gaza they went through “hell”.
“I know, we all know, they've been through hell. "They are coming out of darkness into light, out of slavery into freedom," the Israeli prime minister said during a phone call with Gal Hirsch, who is responsible for the hostage issue in his office.
“It is a tremendously emotional day” for the return of “the first hostages we are bringing home in this round. The entire country embraces them. Welcome home,” he added.
The president said the release of the three hostages was achieved “through the sacrifice and bravery of our heroic fighters”: “It is a huge moment. An emotional moment. A great day.”
Earlier, in an official statement from Netanyahu's office, he said that the Israeli government will bring back all the hostages and missing persons," he stressed.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced this Sunday the release of three Israeli citizens who remained hostages of the group Hamas since the attacks of October 7. According to Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the FDIThe women are now under Israeli protection and have begun the process of returning to their homes.
“Emily, Doron and Romi are now in good hands. A few minutes ago, they were reunited with IDF and Shabak forces. They are now with us and on their way home.”, Hagari said in an official statement.
She also asked for respect and privacy from the families at this time: “These are deeply emotional and painful moments because of what they endured during their prolonged kidnapping. It is now essential to allow their families the privacy they need during their reunion.”
“We are aware of the enormous public expectation regarding the return and condition of the abductees. At the same time, we must all act with great responsibility. These are difficult days and placing additional burdens on the families and the abductees themselves is irresponsible. We ask that people rely only on official sources for updates and refrain from spreading rumours, especially on social media,” she added.
Hagari said the first part of the agreement is expected to last for approximately 42 days, adding: “Today, the first three hostages have returned. From now on, three to four more hostages will be released every week.”
“This morning, Hamas failed to fulfill its commitment and did not submit the list agreed upon in the agreement. Following the delay, we attacked its military infrastructure and armed terrorists in vehicles. Thus, the implementation of the ceasefire was delayed. As we have made clear this morning, we will not tolerate deviations from the agreements.”he warned.
He concluded: “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in coordination with Shabak, the Mossad and the political leadership, are working to achieve all the objectives of the war: the destruction of Hamas's governmental and military capabilities, the return of our citizens to their homes and the most urgent objective: bringing the abductees back home.”
The three freed women are Emily Tehila Damari, of 28 years, Doron Steinbrecher, of 31 years, and Romi Gonen, 24 years old. Damari and Steinbrecher were kidnapped in the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, while Gonen was captured during the attack on the music festival Nova, in southern Israel. During their captivity, the three celebrated their respective birthdays under unknown conditions.
After being handed over to the Israeli authorities, the released women were transferred to an initial reception center for the FDI, where they received medical care and will be reunited with their families. They were then taken to Shiba Hospital for further monitoring.
Source: INFOBAE and Aurora
In the video: Hamas's chaos and the insecurity for the hostages when they were put into the vehicle to be handed over to the Red Cross.