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HOSTAGE HELL
Brit hostage Emily Damari & two more women to be freed by Hamas TODAY – but family don’t know if she’s ‘alive or dead’
The world had been waiting with bated breath as negotiators hammered out a peace deal this week
THE fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has finally come into effect after 15 months of relentless warfare.
The truce was set back by a few hours on Sunday after intense last-minute negotiations and a near-collapse of the deal just hours before its implementation.
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In a critical first step, 33 hostages, including women, children, and elderly individuals held captive by Hamas, are set to be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas released the names of the three Israeli hostages set to be freed on the first day of the ceasefire deal - one of whom is British citizen Emily Damari, 28.
Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, are also to be released following a tense few hours after Hamas failed to initially hand over a list of hostages.
The release of the three women held by Hamas will take place after 2pm today.
Read more on the war in Gaza
Emily's family's lawyer Adam Rose told The Sun that whether the Brit is "alive or dead" is unknown "even on the day of her release".
He said that this has "compounded the torture the family have been going through" since she was brutally taken on October 7.
Mr Rose told The Sun: "Every minute is just another layer of torture.
"Emily's name appeared on the list of three hostages to be released at 8:10am but we just don't know if she is alive or dead.
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"You hope she's alive but until that exchange takes place we just don't know.
"The ongoing torture, the ongoing emotional stress and strain of dealing with this is huge."
He added: "It's coming up to 500 days now. Our view throughout this has been that until the person, the hostage, is in your arms, until you can hug them and talk to them you can't assume anything.
"We have to have hope - if you give up hope you just stop.";
Emily Damari grew up in southeast London before moving to Israel in her 20s.
The fan was shot in the hand and suffered shrapnel wounds to the leg when she was snatched from the Kfar Aza kibbutz village on October 7.
Her London-born mum Mandy, 63, has desperately campaigned for her daughter's release who was kidnapped from her home by Hamas alongside her twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, 27.
Every morning since her daughter was snatched, Mandy has given her daughter an imaginary hug and sent her a virtual message to "keep strong, keep alive," telling her "you are going to be okay".
She has described the past 15 months as "a nightmare, living a life like this."
Mandy added: "What she’s been feeling there – who knows. It must have been ten times worse for her than it has been for me."
She is praying Emily will be back in Israel alive today and after nearly 500 torturous days, is desperate to finally be able to give her that hug she has dreamt of giving her since her daughter was taken.
The worried sick mum said: "My nightmare is still going on until I see Emily and all the other 98 hostages back in Israel with their families.
"I have more hope now than I’ve had in the last 15 months.
"It would be the most wonderful feeling in the world if she comes back, the most wonderful feeling - but I won’t believe it until I see and feel it for myself."
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The initial group of freed hostages will be met by medical teams and psychological support staff at three designated points along Gaza's border before being reunited with their families.
Four more hostages will be returned on the seventh day then every week for a period of four weeks.
Finally, 14 hostages will be returned in the sixth week from the group of 33 made up of 12 women and children, 10 men over the age of 50 and 11 younger men.
Negotiations will start again to secure the release of 65 hostages still in Gaza on the 16th day of the ceasefire.
Palestinian prisoners released on Sunday include 95 individuals, many of whom have not been convicted or tried.
Israel’s occupation has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians since terrorists triggered the conflict by killing 1,200 on October 7, according to Hamas.
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Following the announcement of the ceasefire, Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a news conference that the deal is being carried out due to a "commitment to our brothers and sisters who are being held in captivity".
He added: "I want to make it clear that Israel is committed to achieve all the goals of the war that the security cabinet determined, that includes a return of all our hostages and the dismantling of Hamas.
"This war could have ended long ago if Hamas laid down its weapons and handed over our hostages."
The foreign minister also warned that if Hamas were to stay in power the "regional instability might continue" in Gaza and stressed that what happens now is a "temporary ceasefire".
He said: "We are determined to achieve the objectives of the war."
LAST-MINUTE WOBBLE
The ceasefire’s path to implementation was anything but smooth.
Late on Saturday night, the fragile deal appeared to be teetering on the edge of collapse as terror group Hamas still hadn't released the agreed hostage list.
Netanyahu warned the ceasefire deal was at risk as Israel would not go ahead until Hamas released the list of hostages to be freed.
In a statement released on Saturday, Netanyahu's office emphasised Israel's stance.
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It read: "We will not move forward with the outline until we receive the list of hostages to be released, as agreed.
"Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement. The sole responsibility lies with Hamas."
Israel promised to continue to fight in Gaza until the names were received.
Israeli tanks continued to shell areas in Gaza this morning, with Israeli Defence Force (IDF) officials saying "terror targets" were hit.
My daughter is the only British hostage left in Gaza - she’s been imprisoned for 425 days & I fear she will starve to death
Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on technical field reasons.
US President-elect Donald Trump said earlier this week "there had been a handshake", fuelling positive expectations of a ceasefire agreement.
The world had been waiting with bated breath as negotiators hammered out a peace deal.
For over a year, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have worked behind the scenes to craft a ceasefire plan, culminating in this week's announcement that a deal had been reached.
The exchange, mediated by the Red Cross, marks a poignant moment in the ceasefire in a step toward de-escalation.
The ceasefire agreement, hammered out over months of diplomatic efforts also outlines a detailed three-phase roadmap.
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The initial phase focuses on a six-week cessation of hostilities, during which critically vulnerable hostages will be released.
Displaced Palestinians will be permitted to return to northern Gaza as Israeli forces withdraw from key population centres.
To address urgent humanitarian needs, 600 truckloads of aid, including 50 carrying fuel, will enter Gaza daily during this period.
The second phase will see Hamas release the remaining hostages, primarily male soldiers, in exchange for further prisoner releases.
Israeli troops will complete their withdrawal from Gaza, marking a significant de-escalation in the conflict.
Tortured mum of only British hostage left in Gaza begs for a deal to free her daughter from Hamas hell
However, negotiations will continue during this stage to ensure the terms of the agreement are upheld and that no violations occur.
In the final phase, efforts will focus on reconciliation and rebuilding.
This will involve the return of the bodies of hostages who did not survive captivity to their families, bringing a painful chapter to a close.
Simultaneously, a long-term reconstruction plan for Gaza, overseen by international authorities, will be initiated to address the widespread destruction and humanitarian crisis caused by the war.
THE PATH TO PEACE
The agreement marks a significant turning point after more than a year of intense conflict, which began with Hamas’s surprise attacks on October 7, 2023.
The terror group's brutal bloodbath marked one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
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The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
In response, Israel launched a relentless military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 11,000 Palestinians and displacing over 1.9 million residents.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival - killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
Entire neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble, and Gaza’s infrastructure teetered on the brink of collapse.
Despite the devastation, a breakthrough came as diplomatic mediators from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt secured an initial framework for a ceasefire.
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The deal, finalised under immense pressure, aims to address both immediate humanitarian needs and broader political grievances.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
While the ceasefire brings a welcome reprieve, challenges remain.
The successful implementation of subsequent phases hinges on fragile trust between the parties, with Netanyahu warning that Israel remains prepared to resume its campaign should Hamas falter.
For families awaiting the return of loved ones or grieving the loss of their homes, today offers a moment of cautious hope.
After months of bloodshed, the world watches as both sides take tentative steps toward peace.
The road ahead is uncertain, but for now, the guns are silent.
Meanwhile, Israel announced that it had recovered the body of Oron Shaul, a soldier who was killed in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, in a special operation.
The bodies of Shaul and another soldier, Hadar Goldin, remained in Gaza after the 2014 war and had not been returned despite a public campaign by their families.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
As the ceasefire deal continues to be held, Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned from government in opposition to the ceasefire deal.
The far-right minister viewed the deal as Israel giving in to Hamas.
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