The women — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari — were ushered into a Red Cross vehicle by members of the Qassam Brigades on Monday.
“We are relieved that those released can be reunited with their loved ones. Ensuring their safe return and providing the necessary care at this critical moment is a great responsibility,” said Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. “This operation is a powerful example of how our role as a neutral actor between the warring sides can save and change lives, provided that the parties come to an agreement.”
She continued, “More families are waiting anxiously for their loved ones to come home. We call on all parties to continue to adhere to their commitments to ensure the next operations can take place safely. Our teams are ready to continue to implement the agreement so that more hostages and detainees are released, and more families reunited.”
A video released by Hamas depicting the release of the women showed a militant handing them what appeared to be a gift bag with the Qassam Brigades logo printed on it.
The bags each contained a necklace, a map of the Gaza Strip, a certificate of release, and photographs taken during their captivity, a representative of the Gonen family told CNN following her release.
The hostages were made to pose with the certificate inside the Red Cross vehicle before they left the premises.
Hamas’s bizarre gifts were immediately confiscated by the Internal Security Agency of Israel, according to reports.
The three women were among the over 30 hostages still in Hamas custody since being kidnapped 471 days ago.
The same day, Israel released approximately 90 Palestinian prisoners from the West Bank’s Ofer Prison.
It’s the first cooperative exchange of prisoners under the ceasefire agreement mediated by the U.S. government and President Donald Trump’s team.
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The first phase of the deal went into effect Sunday and will last 42 days. A second and third stage of the negotiations is expected following the fulfillment of Phase 1 obligations.
Israel is expected to release approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in the next six weeks, while Hamas will be compelled to turn over the remaining 30 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attacks.
