A daughter described as “very happy when she dances” will be among three Israeli women to be freed after 471 days of captivity by Hamas.
Romi Gonen, 24, was among those abducted by the militant group while trying to escape the Nova festival during the October 7, 2023 attack.
He is expected to be released along with Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinary nurse, and Emily Damari, 28, who has British-Israeli citizenship.
Their release is part of the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas – the delay in Israel receiving the three names, which Hamas blamed for “technical reasons”, delayed the ceasefire by almost three hours.
Romi Gonen
Romi had traveled from her home in Kfar Verradim, in northern Israel, to the Nova festival.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents his family, said he had gone “to do what he loved, to dance” – something he had studied for 12 years, performed as a soloist and became an “amazing choreographer”.
When the siren went off as the Hamas attack took place, Romi called her family. Her mother, Meirav, recalled hearing gunshots and shouting in Arabic during the last phone call with her daughter.
Romi was attacked by Hamas terrorists while trying to escape the festival.
A video posted on a family forum last November described her as “a girl with a big smile, a bright light, a very good friend”.
Doron Steinbrecher
Doron, a 31-year-old nurse, was kidnapped from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked.
In May of last year, his sister, Yamit Ashkenazi, wrote a touching letter about the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, calling him “my sunshine”.
“I wish you could feel the power we are sending you,” it reads.
“I wish you knew that there is a battle we are fighting here for you to be freed. I wish you could hear it all. Loving you, longing for you, painful, but I'm still fighting for you.”
And in a previous post, Doron was described as “the glue that connects all his friends, sensitive and funny, always smiling and the first to offer help”.
She studied theater and film at school, and developed a love for animals that led to her becoming a veterinary nurse.
Speaking to the BBC in November 2023, Doron's sister Yamit talked about the new tattoo. It read: “Like the sun we will rise again”, but the other rays of the sun were not there.
“They will be added when he is home,” he added.
Emily Damari
Emily, a 28-year-old who holds dual British-Israeli citizenship, was also kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 attack.
As news of his release broke on Sunday, a source close to his family said it had been “471 torturous days but the most torturous 24 hours”.
“All Emily's mother Mandy wants to do is hug Emily. But she won't believe it until she sees it,” said the source.
Emily has a strong connection to the UK – she is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur and used to visit to see relatives, attend concerts, go shopping and visit pubs here.
Her mother, Mandy Damari, previously told the BBC that Emily was “the backbone of our family and the core is missing”.
“I love him to the moon and back, he is a special person,” he added.
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