Beirut, Jan 20: Ninety Palestinian prisoners have been released as part of the first phase of a long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli prison service has saidEarlier, on Sunday, three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza City hours after a ceasefire began, before being handed to the Israeli military
The women released by Hamas – 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, and Romi Gonen, 24 – are being treated in a Tel Aviv hospital, and are in a stable condition
Emily was seen with bandages over two missing fingers, hugging her mother, in a video call shared with the BBC’s Lucy Manning
Hamas says for every hostage released, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails
The ceasefire in Gaza came into force after a last-minute delay, but joy faded as Palestinians returned to their destroyed homes.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has thanked Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani for his “critical role” in mediation efforts that culminated in the ceasefire, the US Department of State said.
“The secretary highlighted the need to continue advancing post-conflict planning for Gaza, expressed his gratitude for the prime minister’s support and wished him well on continued efforts to build lasting peace in the region,” the department said in a statement.