Who are the three Israeli hostages being released?

A young woman described as “happiest when she dances” is one of three Israeli women released after 471 days of detention by Hamas.

Romi Gonen, 24, was captured while trying to escape from the Nova music festival when it was targeted by the militant group in the October 7, 2023 attack.

She was released alongside Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinary nurse, and Emily Damari, 28, who has dual British and Israeli nationality.

It was confirmed on Sunday afternoon that the three hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas in Gaza.

Their release is part of the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which began on Sunday. A total of 33 hostages are to be released over the next six weeks.

Romi had traveled from his home in Kfar Veradim, in northern Israel, to the Nova festival, which took place in the Negev desert in the south.

More than 360 people were killed at the festival when Hamas fighters crossed the border, 2 kilometers to the west. The desert landscape offered revelers limited cover and exit routes were blocked by armed men.

When sirens sounded during the attack, Romi called her family. Her mother, Meirav, remembers hearing gunshots and screaming in Arabic during the last call with her daughter.

Romi was ambushed by Hamas militants while trying to flee.

In June, his mother addressed the UN Human Rights Council to appeal for international help to free the hostages.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said she went to the festival “to do what she loved, to dance” – something she had studied for 12 years, performing in solo performances and becoming a ” incredible choreographer.

A video posted by the families forum last November described her as “the girl with the biggest smile, the brightest light, the greatest friend.”

The forum also noted that Romi’s room at home “remains exactly as it was when she left,” awaiting her return.

Doron, a 31-year-old veterinary nurse, was kidnapped from her apartment on Kibbutz Kfar Aza – near Gaza’s northwest border – during a Hamas attack.

The community, one of several Israeli villages along the border, was heavily targeted by armed militants during the October 7 attacks.

Israeli officials said Hamas burned homes and killed civilians, including entire families, and took hostages.

When the assault began, Doron contacted family and friends via WhatsApp to tell them she was hiding under the bed as the militants advanced, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.

In his final voicemail, he was heard shouting “they got me” as screams and gunshots echoed in the background.

Doron’s family received no information about her whereabouts for nearly four months.

In May last year, her sister, Yamit Ashkenazi, wrote an emotional letter on the missing families forum, calling her “my ray of sunshine”.

“I wish you could feel the energy we are sending you,” it reads.

And in a previous article, Doron was described as “the glue that holds all her friends together, sensitive and funny, always smiling and the first to offer help.”

She studied drama and film at school and developed a love of animals which led her to become a veterinary nurse.

Speaking to the BBC in November 2023, Doron’s sister Yamit opened up about getting a new tattoo. He said, “Like the sun, we will rise again,” but some rays of the sun were missing.

“They will be added when she is home,” she added.

Emily, a 28-year-old British-Israeli national, was also taken hostage at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.

She was shot in the hand and taken to Gaza from her home during the attack, and also saw her dog shot.

His mother, Mandy Damari, was also on the kibbutz, in her separate home, on October 7. Ms Damari hid in the safe and was saved by a bullet which hit the door handle, preventing the attackers from entering.

As the assault unfolded, Emily sent her mother a text message containing a single heart emoji – it was their last contact.

In December, Ms Damari told the BBC how concerned she was about the conditions her daughter was facing. Sunday was the first time they received information about Emily since March.

When his release was announced, a source close to his family said that it had been “471 tortuous days but a particularly torturous 24 hours.”

“All Emily’s mom Mandy wants to do is hug Emily. But she won’t believe it until she sees it,” the source said.

Ms Damari was born and raised in the UK and met her husband while on holiday in Israel when she was 20.

Emily, the youngest of four children, has strong links to the UK: she is a Tottenham Hotspur fan and often visits to see relatives, attend concerts, shop and go at the pub here.

Ms Damari previously told the BBC that Emily was “the core of our family and that core was missing”.

“I love him to the moon and back, he’s a special person,” she added.