Emily Damari, a 28-year-old British-Israeli woman, is among the first three hostages Hamas plans to release today as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
She was abducted during the 7 October Hamas attack when she was “shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza”, according to her mother.
The other two hostages are Romi Gonen, 24, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.
Hamas said on Sunday it had handed the names of the three women hostages over to mediators of the ceasefire.
The long-sought ceasefire for Gaza, where Israel has been waging a powerful military campaign for the past 15 months, was delayed by several hours before it eventually took effect at 11.15am local time.
Doron Steinbrecher
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire, which had been due to start at 8.30am, would not begin until Israel received the names.
After receiving the list, his office said in a statement Israeli security personnel were checking the “details” and had started contacting families of the hostages, adding they would be released after 4pm.
It also said four other living female hostages would be freed in seven days.
The ceasefire deadline was missed after Hamas failed to issue the list of the hostages up for release today on time.
The group blamed technical issues for the delay, and as a result Israel continued to launch military strikes into Gaza.
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