Three Israeli Hostages Return to Israel

Today is Armenian Christmas here in Jerusalem—and only in Jerusalem. But that’s not why I’m writing. 

 

This is the beginning of a slow bleed of hostages who will be released over the next six weeks in what is an extremely fragile deal.

There is another six weeks of pins and needles for the families of the hostages, and after that only 33 hostages (their status of dead or alive is unknown) will have been released. And that only if all goes well. 

 

Currently, we are looking at a release of between 3 to 4 hostages once a week for five weeks and then 14 in the last week. 

 

The next stages—and the remaining 65 hostages—are still up for negotiation. 

From left to right: Romi Gonen, 24, who was kidnapped from the Nova festival; Emily Damari, 27, taken from her home in Kfar Aza in her own car; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, also kidnapped from her home in Kfar Aza. 
 

 

The above video contains more details of the return of the three women, the ceasefire deal and its impact on the Palestinians as well. As events warrant I will be doing more lives. If you want to get these updates you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

 

We only found out now that Emily lost two fingers on the day she was kidnapped.

 

Almost 100 Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released today and more than 1,000 by the end of stage one. 

 

 

 

What I find disturbing (and I hope not foreboding) is that the first release did not include the Bibas family. Of course, they should have been out during the first round in November 2023. Kfir Bibas, pictured above in the arms of his father Yarden was the youngest captive and was taken into Gaza along with his mom, Shiri, and his brother, Ariel. Yarden was kidnapped separately from his family.  

 

Unlike the last round of hostage releases, these are not being live-streamed on Israeli channels. You don’t have to wonder why—not all the hostages are alive.

Buried in the tempered euphoria of the hostage release, the Israeli army announced earlier on Sunday that it rescued the body of Oron Shaul, an Israeli soldier who was killed and his body held in Gaza since 2014.

 

And now, yet again we wait although perhaps only for one anti-climatic week.