DAY 471 OF THE WAR: Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher Finally Return Home
Tel Aviv Diary, January 19, 2025
For those in London, I will be on the LBC News Morning Show at 8:25am.
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I believe I lack adequate literary skill to fully convey the intense atmosphere and extraordinary sentiment pervasive currently throughout Israel. These moments, which carry such profound weight, are reminiscent of few others in our history. As I began writing, the first images began to appear of the three hostages emerging from the Hamas vehicle. I found myself overwhelmed by emotion, I was momentarily unable to continue, tears obscuring my vision.
This past year has been extraordinarily difficult, and while these three women represent only a small fraction of the hostages still detained in Gaza, their return home is an undeniably momentous occasion. Though it will take time to understand their full ordeal, however, initially, all three appear to be walking independently and in good physical condition.
Despite being surrounded by numerous Hamas terrorists, the women’s swift transfer to a Red Cross vehicle to begin their journey home was not hindered. When I arrived at Hostage Square during the handover of the women to IDF forces, the announcement of their transfer to Israeli hands triggered resounding collective cheer—the first moment of joy amidst what feels like an eternity.
Every conversation this morning carried threads of hope and prayers that nothing would go awry. The day began under a cloud of uncertainty. Upon waking, the names of those scheduled for release remained unknown, despite Hamas's promise to reveal them by 4 PM the previous day. As speculation mounted over the delay, the army unexpectedly announced that they had recovered the remains of Sgt. Oron Shaul, (held captive in Gaza for 10.5 years), in a covert operation conducted over the previous days.
Sgt. Shaul fell during “Mivtza Tzuk Eitan” (Operation Protective Edge) when his Golani unit, traveling in a vulnerable armored personnel carrier, was ambushed. While the remains of other six casualties were recovered, Hamas retained Shaul's remains. Shaul’s family, alongside the Goldins (whose son Hadar was lost in the Rafah area on the operation's final day), had fought tirelessly for years to recover the remains of their loved one. As Shaul's brother remarked today, they had abandoned hope. Shaul's funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.
As the ceasefire approached without the promised list, Israel declared it would not observe the agreement until names were provided. In response, the Air Force struck several targets, and artillery fire resumed. An hour later, Hamas transmitted the list, easing the nation’s collective anxiety. Although the original plan was to withhold the names from the public until after the actual release, the names of the three women to be released today quickly surfaced on Telegram feeds. While traditional media initially maintained silence, the families themselves shared the information—a secret too momentous to contain. Soon interviews with friends and family members dominated the airwaves.
Despite the prevailing optimism of the day, it was impossible to ignore images of hundreds of armed Hamas terrorists moving freely through the streets of Gaza. There is ongoing debate about whether these genuinely reflect the situation on the ground or are merely staged displays. This question, among others, will undoubtedly dominate discussions during the week-long wait until the next scheduled release on Saturday.
The nation watched together, remaining glued to screens, as the evening unfolded, while Doron, Emily, and Romi reunited with their mothers for the first time in over 470 days. After a short medical exam at an army base near the Gaza border they were flown by helicopter to the Sheba Hospital in central Israel for further obligation and care.
Statement by President Isaac Herzog:
Romi, Emily, and Doron — so beloved and missed — an entire nation rejoices at your return. We send you and your families a huge embrace. This is a day of joy and comfort, and the beginning of a challenging journey of recovery and healing together. 'The eyes weep bitterly, and the heart rejoices.' At this moment, our hearts are with all the anxious and grieving families whose loved ones have not yet returned. We will not rest or be silent until we bring back all our sisters and brothers from the hell of captivity in Gaza — the living to their families, and the fallen and murdered to be laid to rest in dignity."
Announcement From Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Office:
The Government of Israel embraces the three women who have returned. Their families have been updated by the relevant authorities that they are with our forces. The Government of Israel is committed to returning all of the hostages and missing. List of our citizens: Romi Gonen (24) Emily Damari (28) Doron Steinbrecher (31). The Government, together with all of the security officials, will accompany them and their families. ‘Praised are You God, who frees the imprisoned’.
I wanted to share this tweet by Hillel Fuld. He is a friend with whom I don’t always agree on political issues. His brother was killed in a terror attack. This makes this tweet particularly relevant and poignant in that his brother’s killer is among the terrorists scheduled to be released as part of this ceasefire and hostage deal.
PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN JOURNALIST, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib tweeted:
Shame on the Red Cross for being a willing participant in Hamas's despicable theatrics. Parading young Israeli female hostages in front of a mob of militants and local residents who were herded into participating in the spectacle is not only terrible for the women, but it portrays Gazans in a horrendous light that’s entirely harmful and destructive. Hamas doesn’t care if the world sees Gazans as the aggressors or savages as long as it gets to assert its rotten, fascistic narrative, making the terror group the true enemy of the Palestinian people. How immensely shameful and embarrassing that parading young women by a bunch of armed terrorists (who miraculously found their uniforms 15 months later) is considered a legitimate act of "resistance."
The deal should have stipulated that the exchange happens in private and away from large crowds – Hamas should not be allowed to keep doing this, and the Red Cross should immediately halt future exchanges until new arrangements are made. This footage is feeding anti-Palestinian sentiments and inflaming right-wing Israelis’ desire to restart the war after phase 1. Qatari state media [Aljazeera] participating in this charade is predictable, but that a once highly respected NGO like the Red Cross being a willing participant in this spectacle is truly shameful and uncalled for.
In a notable update, Hamas Spokesman Abu Ovadia, stated that Hamas holds 94 hostages, 35 of whom are deceased. If Ovadia’s statement is accurate, that would mean there are an additional 59 hostages who are still alive.
While other events undoubtedly occurred in Israel today, our focus remained intently fixed on Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher.