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After 471 days, 3 Israeli hostages reunited with families

Last updated on: January 20, 2025 11:25 IST

After being held captive for 471 days by Hamas, three Israeli women reunited with their families.

Photographs: @IsraeliPM/X

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that went into effect Sunday morning stirred modest hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war.

 

The three women -- Romi Gnen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher -- were held captive by Hamas during its attack on October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1200 people. The Lebanon-backed group released them in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.

WATCH: Israeli hostages reunite with their families after 15 months 

While many hostages were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered in between these 15 months, around 100 continued to remain in Hamas' captivity.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared videos and pictures of the three women -- draped in Israeli flags -- reuniting with their families.

Visuals showed the women embracing their mothers, with one of the hostages waving a bandaged hand missing two fingers at her family on the other end of a mobile phone video call.

"We didn't have any sign of life from her for a whole year and this is the first time we are seeing her, and we are seeing her walking on her two feet and we are just waiting here to hug her and say how much we love her," said the family of the released hostages.

After over 15 months of war that killed over 47,000 people, Israel began a six-week ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza on Sunday.

It is likely to include the release of the remaining 94 hostages.

In the last phase of the ceasefire, all the remaining dead bodies are expected to be returned.

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