Four wounded in Tel Aviv stabbing attack, Israel's military chief resigns

The war against Hamas, which began in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was one of the longest sustained wars that Hamas has had to face in its almost 40-year history. The group was prepared to face this challenge. Now that Hamas appears to be emerging in Gaza, it is worth asking some initial questions about how it survived.

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza is on its way to collect Israeli hostages from Hamas, an official involved in the operation told Reuters on Sunday.

The IDF said Sunday early afternoon that the latest indications are that the three hostages will be released from an area of central Gaza.

Despite that information, until the hostages are actually being moved, the IDF still is not certain about which part of Gaza the hostages will come from.

It said that company-level commanders of special forces would handle the transfer of the hostages into Israeli custody and would be the first to confirm the hostage's identity finally, including whether they were alive or dead.

That additional information is expected to be passed on to the public closer to the time when the hostages enter makeshift Gaza border absorption centers, prior to them departing again for hospitals inside Israel.

Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the Re'im-based point where freed hostages were met by IDF troops in the November 2023 exchange, Israeli media reported Sunday afternoon.

"I came here to make sure that the IDF is prepared to receive and accompany the abductees who are returning to Israel today. We will not stop the war until all the abductees are returned," Katz stated, before explaining that he came to the scene "to make sure that the IDF is prepared to defend against any possible attack and attempts to carry out terrorist attacks and kidnappings by Hamas even during the ceasefire."

He emphasized the importance of maintaining buffer zones and promised intense response of any violation.

Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva is prepared to receive released abductees in case they are in critical condition.

The preparations include an established area of the hospital specifically focused on assisting those returning with a full treatment pathway - from the helipad, through the trauma and shock room in the MLRD for initial stabilization and medical assessment, to the hospitalization department.

A skilled and dedicated multidisciplinary team, which already had experience treating returnees in the previous deal, including medical personnel, nurses, social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, rehabilitation, and other health professionals - are all prepared to provide the best and most sensitive care.

The IDF has on Sunday afternoon published footage of an area set up by the Israeli military to receive the three Gaza hostages ahead of their expected release later this evening.

An area set up by the IDF to receive returned Gaza hostages upon their arrival on January 19, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

An area set up by the IDF to receive returned Gaza hostages upon their arrival on January 19, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

An area set up by the IDF to receive returned Gaza hostages upon their arrival on January 19, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Yarden Gonen, whose sister Romi is set to be released from Hamas captivity after nearly 500 days, and Gil Dickmann, whose cousin Carmel Gat was killed in captivity after surviving nearly 11 months, sat down with The Jerusalem Post in July to talk about the fight to bring their loved ones home.

Gonen and Dickmann shared the stories of Romi and Carmel being taken captive - Romi from the Nova Festival and Carmel from Kibbutz Be'eri.

They talk about the need for a hostage deal that brings all the hostages home and why the fight for the hostages is a global fight against extremism and terrorism.

Gonen and Dickmann also shared how they managed to hold on to hope and keep their fight for their loved ones going in spite of the difficulty and tragedy of missing their captive loved ones. 

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Hamas confirmed on Sunday that 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher would be released on the first day of phase one of the hostage-ceasefire deal.

The deal will see 33 hostages released in the first phase in exchange for the release of security prisoners, humanitarian aid and an IDF withdrawal from some areas in Gaza.

Emily Damari, a now-28-year-old British-Israeli fan of the soccer team Tottenham Hotspur is set to be freed after over a year in Hamas captivity as part of the first phase of a hostage-ceasefire deal.