An immense clamor, hugs and floods of tears: it was with intense emotion that the thousands of people gathered in the so-called “hostages” square, in the center of Tel Aviv, welcomed the different stages of the liberation of the first three captives returned by Hamas, Sunday January 19. The young women, whose names had been made public earlier in the day, arrived in Israel late in the afternoon, as part of the agreement concluded between their country and the Islamist organization on January 15. Doron Steinbrecher (31 years old), Romi Gonen (24 years old) and the British-Israeli Emily Damari (28 years old) therefore found their country and their loved ones, at the end of an interminable captivity of four hundred and seventy-one days. They were kidnapped on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas attack, the deadliest in Israeli history. They should be joined, during the next six weeks, by thirty of the hostages released during the initial phase of the agreement, which includes three.
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-Before that, however, there was so much anguish and uncertainty: until the last moment, that of the actual restitution of the young women, the Israelis gathered in the square did not quite dare to believe in good news. So many disappointed hopes, so many vain expectations. On Sunday morning, again, the ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave was two hours late, Hamas not having communicated the list of the first liberated at the expected time.. “These days, I held back from feeling enthusiastic”explains Vered Peer, a volunteer who has been showing people around the place for months. Like everyone else, she remained with her eyes glued to the giant screen where images filmed by Palestinian television Al-Quds, affiliated with Hamas, were playing.
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