HAMAS released 3 hostages after 470 days of captivity.

Israeli hostages released after ceasefire in Gaza

As a result of the ceasefire in Gaza, three Israeli hostages - Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher - were released. They had been held captive for 470 days. Damari holds citizenship in both the UK and Israel.

The release of the hostages occurred six hours after the ceasefire agreement came into effect. HAMAS militants handed them over in the center of Gaza City, and the Red Cross escorted them to a unit of the Israel Defense Forces in southern Gaza, and then to Israeli territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden believes that the release of the hostages and the ceasefire agreement confirm the success of his policy over the past 15 months. He noted that he faced extremely difficult situations during the negotiations.

The agreement stipulates that during the next 42 days, 30 more hostages will be released. For its part, Israel has already released 90 Palestinian women and teenagers from prisons.

Since the outbreak of the war, triggered by the HAMAS attack on October 7, more than 46,000 Palestinians and over 1,600 Israelis have died, most of whom were civilians.