Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher are the first on the list of 33 people to leave the group of hostages; in return, Israel will release 95 Palestinian prisoners
Three hostages held by Islamists in should be released this Sunday (19) after more than 15 months of war, thanks to a .
– Romi Gonen, 24
Romi Gonen, a native of northern Israel, was one of dozens of people captured by Hamas fighters at the Supernova music festival, where they killed 364 people, on October 7, 2023. During the attack, from which Gonen tried to escape by car, the young woman called her mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, who tried to calm her down, while she heard explosions in the background. The car was later found empty, and Gonen’s cell phone was located in Gaza. Gonen, a talented dancer and choreographer, was injured in the hand, her mother said, adding that other hostages who were freed told her as much.
– Emily Damari, 28 years old
Damari, whose father is Israeli, was born in Israel after her British mother, Mandy, moved there. She grew up in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel, near the border with Gaza. Damari was at home when armed Hamas fighters broke into his home and injured his hands and legs. Her dog Choocha was shot in the neck, according to Damari’s mother. According to the family’s lawyer, Adam Rose, Mandy was “anxiously awaiting” her daughter’s release this Sunday. “They are waiting, waiting for them to fully confirm that Emily has left,” he told the BBC.
– Doron Steinbrecher, 31 years old
This veterinary nurse was also kidnapped in Kfar Aza. On the day of the attack, Steinbrecher left a message for her parents saying she had been kidnapped. The woman, who has dual Israeli and Romanian nationality, appeared in a video alongside two other hostages, released by Hamas in January 2024. “My life stopped on October 7th,” said her mother, Simona Steinbrecher, in July . “I know she’s alone there and I can’t help her.”
*With information from AFP
Posted by Victor Oliveira
