The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross. They were met by the IDF soldiers stationed in the Gaza Strip.
All three hostages, civilians Romy Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, will be escorted by the military to Israeli territory, where they will undergo initial medical examinations.
Arab media broadcast live footage of three female hostages being taken from a car surrounded by Hamas gunmen and placed in vehicles belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross in western Gaza City. A Red Cross team member had previously visited the women and made sure they were well enough to travel.
Gaza ceasefire agreement
On the evening of January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. This could ease tensions in the Middle East, where conflicts continue in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
The ceasefire agreement was originally supposed to take effect today, January 19, at 08:30 AM, but Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip because Hamas failed to provide a list of hostages to be released today in time, thereby violating the terms of the agreement.
However, Hamas later provided a list of three hostages who would be released today, Israel confirmed this, and the agreement went into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time.
Media reports say that in the first phase, IDF will withdraw to within 700 meters of the Gaza Strip, Israel will release approximately 2 000 Palestinians and Hamas will release 33 Israeli prisoners. Israel will allow the wounded in Gaza to move through the territory to receive medical care and will open the Rafah crossing with Egypt. The IDF troops will begin to withdraw from the Philadelphia Corridor.
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