who are the three hostages about to be released this Sunday by Hamas?

After 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, Israel announced on Sunday the entry into force of a ceasefire with Hamas, with nearly three hours of delay linked to the publication by the terrorist group of the names of hostages to be released during the day. Shortly before 10 a.m., the faction finally published on Telegram the names of three women, who should be released during the day, this Sunday. Their families have been notified, announced the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Portraits.

Romi Gonen

Aged 24, Romi Gonen was captured on October 7 while participating in the Nova music festival, the scene of a real massacre, in which 364 people were killed by Hamas terrorists. During a telephone call, the young woman told her mother that she had been shot during the attack. Three of his friends had been murdered. On his Instagram account, his brother, Shahaf, confirmed that the young woman appeared “on the list”. “It’s official, good luck to all of us”.

In November 2023, Le Figaro had met his sister, Yarden, at a rally for the return of the hostages in Tel Aviv. She had experienced her younger sister's torture on the phone. ““She hid but was eventually discovered. I heard the terrorists asking themselves: “Shall we take him? Shall we kill her?” Finally, they took her away.”said the young woman. That day, in addition to the portrait of his sister, Yarden also held up that of Oron Shaul, a soldier who died in the Gaza Strip in 2014. By coincidence, his body held hostage until now was found by the Israeli army on the same day as his sister's release.

Doron Steinbrecher

Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse, was kidnapped from the Kibbutz of Kfar Aza, where 46 residents were murdered on October 7. The young woman had also managed to telephone her mother Simona, a resident of the same kibbutz, a few moments before her kidnapping. She had told him that armed men were heading towards her room. “It’s every mother’s worst nightmare.”Simona Steinbrecher confided to our colleagues at Reuters. “It was terrible. I was nearby but couldn't go and see because the whole area was infested with terrorists. I knew she was going to be kidnapped and I couldn't help her.”.

Emily Damari

An Israeli-British citizen, Emily Damari was also kidnapped from the Kfar Aza kibbutz. She resided in the «youth neighborhood»where 11 people were shot and seven kidnapped out of 37 residents. The 28-year-old grew up in south-east London and was a big supporter of Tottenham Football Club, who regularly showed their support during matches by throwing yellow balls and displaying her portrait. In January 2024, the released hostage Dafna Elyakim indicated that she had encountered her in the Hamas underground in Gaza.

The young woman had chosen to settle in Israel to start a family. Her mother told the BBC that she had been injured in the hand by bullets and in the leg by shrapnel. Her dog Choocha was shot, she said. The latter campaigned tirelessly for the release of her daughter, and repeatedly urged the British government to do more to secure her release. She described her daughter as a young woman combining a typically British sense of humor with “Israeli chutzpah (Hebrew word meaning boldness)”.