Hamas released three Israeli hostages during the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire that came into effect on Sunday. Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari had been in Hamas custody since October 7, 2023 and had been held in Gaza.

The X handle of Israel’s Prime Minister shared pictures of the three women meeting their family members. What caught everyone’s attention was the missing fingers of one of the hostages, Emily Damari. Images showed a bandage on Emily’s hand. Local media quoting her family said Emily lost two fingers after

The three hostages were first handed over to the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, which later transferred them to the Israeli military, the latter said in a statement.

Israel Frees 90 Palestinians 

Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, including 69 women and 21 teenage boys, on Monday as part of the ceasefire-hostage release deal with Hamas. 

Footage from the ground showed crowds surrounding a bus that carried the freed Palestinian prisoners with people cheering, chanting, and honking car horns in excitement. 

Among Palestinians who have been freed is politician Khalida Jarrar, according to media reports by the Associated Press and the New York Times. She is a prominent leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group designated a “terrorist organisation” by Israel, the US and the European Union. 
 
The prisoners freed as part of the ceasefire-hostage release deal said Sunday they were held in horrific conditions in an Israeli jail in the occupied West Bank.

“I left hell and now I’m in heaven, we are out of hell,” an inmate told Reuters.

“They used to violate us, beat us, fire tear gas toward us. They used to count us while our heads were down on the floor. Suddenly they would enter the cells and fire gas toward us. They say bad words at us. There is no food, no sweets, no salt. There is nothing.”