Following delays in providing the names of the hostages expected to be released today (Sunday)\u2014which prompted further Israeli strikes\u2014Hamas submitted the list at 10:00 AM. Israeli officials confirmed the names 30 minutes later. Shortly after, the Prime Minister\u2019s Office announced: “As per the terms of the hostage release agreement, the first phase ceasefire in Gaza will take effect at 11:15 AM.” <\/p>\n
A Brother’s Emotional Post <\/strong><\/p>\n Shortly after the ceasefire was implemented, Shachaf Gonen, the brother of hostage Romi Gonen, posted a heartfelt Instagram story: “Romi is on the list. Official. Good luck to all of us.” Later in the day, the families of Emily Damari and Doron Steinbracher were also informed that their loved ones are expected to be released today. <\/p>\n Hostage Release Plan and Timeline <\/strong><\/p>\n The release is scheduled for after 4:00 PM today. An additional four hostages are set to be freed in seven days. Families will be informed of the names of those released 24 hours prior to the next stage. <\/p>\n As part of the initial 42-day phase, 33 hostages are slated for release. These include women (such as surveillance officers abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost), children, elderly men over 50, and those who are ill or injured but not combatants. The deal also includes the return of Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held in Gaza for over a decade. <\/p>\n Operation “Wings of Freedom”: Reception Preparations <\/strong> Watch IDF preparations to bring hostages home:<\/strong>
\nThe IDF has established three reception points at Re\u2019im, Kerem Shalom, and Erez, where the released hostages will undergo initial medical examinations and receive mental health support. The hostages will then be transferred to hospitals, including Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. Other hospitals have also prepared to receive hostages in parallel. <\/p>\n
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