British-Israeli woman among first hostages released by Hamas, while Palestinians still await release of 90 prisoners

Three hostages have arrived in southern Israel after being released by Hamas, in a ceasefire deal that has put an end, for now, to 15 months of bitter war in Gaza.

They were handed by masked, armed gunmen to the Red Cross, amid a frantic crowd in Gaza, before being transferred to the Israeli military and then entering Israel.

"They appear to be in good health," President Joe Biden said in brief remarks.

Palestinian families are still waiting for the release of 90 prisoners, including women and children, due to be released on Sunday in exchange.

Earlier Israel released a list of names, the youngest of whom was a 15-year-old boy from East Jerusalem.

Among the hostages was 28-year-old British-Israeli Emily Damari, who was shot in the hand and taken back to Gaza on the 7 October Hamas attack.

The other two hostages freed today were 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, abducted from the same Kibbutz Kfar Aza in southern Israel as Ms Damari, and Romi Gonen, 24, who was taken from the Supernova music festival.

Emily Damari's mother, Mandy Damari, thanked "everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal".

The list of Palestinians expected to be freed on Sunday includes 69 women and 21 men, all from the occupied West Bank or East Jerusalem. Two 17-year-olds, a boy and a girl, were also named.

In decimated Gaza, Palestinians have been both celebrating the relief from the bombing and grieving the loss of loved ones and livelihoods.

Some started the trek back through the rubble to what is left of their homes, hoping to pick up any pieces of their lives.

"I feel like at last I found some water to drink after getting lost in the desert for 15 months. I feel alive again," said a woman from Gaza City, who had been sheltering in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip, for over a year.

Follow live updates on the Gaza ceasefire

Ceasefire arrived after last minute delay

The long-sought ceasefire for Gaza, where Israel waged a destructive military campaign for 15 months, was delayed before it eventually took effect at 11.15am local time (9.15am UK time).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire, which had been due to start at 8.30am, would not begin until Israel received the names of the three hostages to be released.

After receiving the list, his office confirmed in a statement the ceasefire had started, and that Israeli security personnel were checking the "details" and contacting the families of the hostages.

It also said four other living female hostages would be freed in seven days.

Read more:
What we know about British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari
One father hopes the ceasefire will bring his son home

Hamas blamed the delay on "technical field reasons", during which time Israel continued to launch military strikes on Gaza, killing a further 13 people, and injuring dozens, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said.

The Israeli military said it struck "terror targets".

Medics reported tanks firing at the Zeitoun area in Gaza City, and said an airstrike and tank fire also hit the northern town of Beit Hanoun, sending residents who had returned there in anticipation of the ceasefire fleeing.

Sky's Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said he understood these technical issues may have been related to Hamas's difficulties passing messages between its leadership in Gaza. It has long avoided using mobile phones to prevent detection by the Israeli military.

"Many in Israel will naturally blame Hamas for playing games," Bunkall said.

"The mediating teams knew the ceasefire would be shaky, they knew that there would be bumps in the road and have encouraged both Israel and Hamas to remain calm as any difficulties are worked through."

Read more:
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A timeline of events since the 7 October Hamas attack

As the fragile ceasefire started, Israeli forces started withdrawing from parts of Gaza, allowing thousands of displaced Palestinians to begin the journey back to their battered homes.

Two thirds of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or obliterated, the United Nations Satellite Centre found back in September.

Weary residents returning to Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza found their homes reduced to rubble.

A deal hard-won

The deal was agreed by Israel's cabinet on Friday night after a breakthrough in negotiations - mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt - was announced on Wednesday.

Its first stage will last six weeks, during which 33 of the remaining 94 hostages - women, children, men over 50, the ill and wounded - will be released in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The Palestinians to be set free include 737 male, female and teenage prisoners, some of whom are members of militant groups convicted of attacks that killed dozens of Israelis, as well as hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza in detention since the start of the war.

The pause in fighting is also supposed to enable in humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged territory under the negotiated deal.

470 days of war

The war began after Hamas militants rampaged into Israel and killed around 1,200 people and abducted another 250 on 7 October 2023.

Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half the dead.

(c) Sky News 2025: British-Israeli woman among first hostages released by Hamas, while Palestinians still await release of 90 priso