Relatives of Israeli hostages confirm planned release

The relatives of the three Israeli hostages due to be released from the Gaza Strip later on Sunday as part of a ceasefire agreement have confirmed that they are expecting the women to be freed, according to Israeli media reports.

Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, all Israeli civilians, are set to be released from captivity in the course of the day, the Forum of Hostage Families also confirmed.

The father of Damari, a British dual national, told Israeli news site ynet that he would finally be able to hug his daughter, a feeling he could not describe.

He said her family had waited more than 470 days for the announcement that she would be released, calling this “unimaginable” and “ongoing torture” in comments to British media.

Damari was kidnapped from the Nova music festival near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 but initially tried to flee with her friends in a car, according to reports. She was shot in the hand during the Hamas-led assault on the festival and communities in southern Israel that day.

The two other women were kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza as hostages on the same day.

They are due to be released at 1400 GMT, according to the Israeli government.

Hamas is expected to hand over the three hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is then to take them to a special army unit in the Gaza Strip.

From there, the women are to be taken to a military facility in Israel near the Gaza border for an initial examination before they are taken to hospital, where they are to meet their families.

The relatives of the three Israeli hostages due to be released from the Gaza Strip later on Sunday as part of a ceasefire agreement have confirmed that they are expecting the women to be freed, according to Israeli media reports.

Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, all Israeli civilians, are set to be released from captivity in the course of the day, the Forum of Hostage Families also confirmed.

The father of Damari, a British dual national, told Israeli news site ynet that he would finally be able to hug his daughter, a feeling he could not describe.

He said her family had waited more than 470 days for the announcement that she would be released, calling this “unimaginable” and “ongoing torture” in comments to British media.

Damari was kidnapped from the Nova music festival near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023 but initially tried to flee with her friends in a car, according to reports. She was shot in the hand during the Hamas-led assault on the festival and communities in southern Israel that day.

The two other women were kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza as hostages on the same day.

They are due to be released at 1400 GMT, according to the Israeli government.

Hamas is expected to hand over the three hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is then to take them to a special army unit in the Gaza Strip.

From there, the women are to be taken to a military facility in Israel near the Gaza border for an initial examination before they are taken to hospital, where they are to meet their families.