The Hamas terrorist organization said captives Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher will be freed.
By JNS
After Hamas delivered to Jerusalem the names of the three female Israeli hostages set to be released on Sunday, the ceasefire with the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip officially took effect at 11:15 a.m.
“Israel has received the list of abductees who are scheduled to be released today as part of the outline. The security establishment is currently reviewing the details,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
“We ask the media and the public not to disseminate the details of the list, to exercise due caution, and to maintain the privacy of the families.
We will continue to update with reliable information as soon as possible,” the statement added.
The three captives to be freed on Sunday are Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, according to a Hamas statement cited by AFP.
Gonen, 24, was abducted from the Supernova festival near Kibbutz Re’im after being shot by Hamas terrorists on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, while Steinbrecher, 31, and Damari, 28, were taken from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Damari holds dual Israeli-U.K. citizenship.
The deal with Hamas stipulates that the terror group should have provided the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release; the three captives expected to be freed on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security assessment overnight Saturday “regarding the delay in receiving the list of hostages expected to be released,” according to a statement shared by his office.
The prime minister said he “instructed the Israel Defense Forces that the ceasefire, which is scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has pledged to provide.”
The IDF and Israeli Air Force fighter jets attacked Hamas terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning “as usual,” the army said.
Hamas attributed the delay in forwarding the names to “technical reasons,” reiterating “its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israel’s Health Ministry has formulated a new protocol for receiving and treating the captives due to be released, based on lessons learned from the November 2023 exchange of hostages for Palestinian terrorists.
The protocol has detailed guidelines for medical examinations, mental health care, privacy protection and long-term support for returnees and their families, emphasizing personalized care and respect for dignity.