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Hamas releases 3 hostages under Israel cease-fire deal

The terrorist group Hamas released three hostages from Gaza hours after a cease-fire deal with Israel took effect after a brief delay Sunday.

Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Demari, 27, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were freed to the Red Cross, which will then deliver them to the Israeli Defense Forces. A crowd watched the ongoing saga in Tel Aviv, cheering as good news emerged 15 months after the Oct. 7 massacre of civilians by Hamas.

Israel is expected to free some 90 Palestinian prisoners in return.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Israeli Defense Forces that the cease-fire would not begin until Israel had the list of hostages expected to be freed. Since Hamas had not given the names of the hostages by the time the cease-fire was set to start, the IDF continued to operate, as it was still striking inside Gaza. At least eight Gazans have been killed in IDF strikes since the cease-fire was set to begin, according to a Hamas-run agency.

Hamas had said the three-hour delay in providing the names was due to “technical field reasons” and added that it is committed to the cease-fire deal announced last week.

WHAT TO EXPECT AS ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE GOES INTO EFFECT ON SUNDAY

Romi Gonen, Emily Demari, and Doron Steinbrecher. (Fox News)

The terror group released a statement after the cease-fire began, pledging to the people of Gaza “to be the trustees of their rights and defenders of them, until the complete liberation of the land and the holy sites.”

“The whole world today must stand in reverence for the legendary steadfastness of our people in Gaza, and in appreciation of their patience and sacrifices over the course of 471 days,” Hamas said.

“With the entry into force of the ceasefire, we affirm our commitment to implementing the terms of the agreement, which is the fruit of the steadfastness and patience of our great people, and the legendary steadfastness of our valiant resistance in the face of the zionist machine of terrorism and killing,” the statement continued.

Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal early Saturday morning for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of dozens of hostages and pause the war with Hamas that began after the terror group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State.

The deal would allow 33 hostages to be set free over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The remaining hostages are set to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first.

“Our heroic prisoners have an appointment with freedom starting today, and this is our firm pledge with them always, until they break the shackles of the jailer and breathe freedom in the skies of Palestine,” Hamas said in its statement.

People react as they watch news coverage of the release of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, three female hostages who have been held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as part of a cease-fire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Tel Aviv, Jan. 19, 2025. (REUTERS/Shir Torem)

Hamas agreed to release three female hostages on the first day of the deal, four on the seventh day and the remaining 26 over the next five weeks.

Hamas has said it will not release the remaining hostages without a lasting cease-fire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

This is the second cease-fire achieved during the war.

Gaza is expected to receive a surge in humanitarian aid when the cease-fire begins.

“We are monitoring the operations of bringing in aid and providing relief to our people with everything necessary, and we confirm that all efforts will be made to provide all the necessary support and assistance requirements to restore the cycle of life in the Gaza Strip to normal,” Hamas said in its statement.

ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES WILL RECEIVE HOSTAGES SUNDAY WITH EQUIPPED CAMPER TRAILERS AND COMFORTING SUPPLIES

A wall covered with photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip after the deadly Oct 7 Hamas attack calling for the release of the hostages on January 17, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

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The 15-month-long war in Gaza started when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which roughly 1,200 people wer killed and about 250 others were abducted, prompting military retaliation from Israeli forces. Nearly 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s offensive, according to the Hamas-run government’s local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.

January 23, 2025
Israel, Hamas cease-fire deal could enable rearming of Gaza terrorists

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JERUSALEM—Scenes of armed and uniformed Hamas terrorists could be seen in Gaza on Sunday as the first three Israeli female hostages were released as the cease-fire deal came into effect.

Israeli news agency TPS-IL reported that groups of armed men, suspected terrorists in the central Gaza area of Deir al-Balah, celebrated after the cease-fire and quoted them as chanting, “It is continuous by God’s permission to kill the last Zionist soldier in our holy country,” as cars honked horns and music blared.

The agreement could enable Hamas to reorganize its terrorists in Gaza and repopulate the northern part of the Gaza Strip that borders Israel, according to some concerned Israeli military experts.

BITTERSWEET REJOICING AS FIRST HOSTAGES RETURN TO ISRAEL AFTER 471 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY

Hamas terrorists emerge in a show of strength escorting Red Cross vehicles carrying three Israeli hostages to be released as part of the cease-fire deal. (TPS-IL)

“Despite significant military achievements against many of the Iranian terror proxies around it, Israel has been forced to agree to a very bad deal that leaves Hamas in power. As the leaders of Hamas have repeatedly stated, including after the declaration of the cease-fire, Hamas intends to continue on its path of Jihad against Israel until Israel is completely eliminated,” former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, told Fox News Digital.

He continued, “Israel is held at gunpoint by the Hamas terror organization and has agreed to release almost 2,000 convicted Palestinian terrorists, to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and to temporarily cease-fire in order to repatriate 33 Israeli hostages.”

Following the initial announcement of last week’s deal, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, reportedly boasted that his movement plans to commit a second October 7 massacre of Israelis, according to a Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translation of his remarks.

He reportedly bragged about the first slaughter of over 1,200 Israelis, including more than 40 Americans, on October 7, 2023, and declared plans to launch new mass murders. “October 7 Will Remain A Source Of Pride To Our People And Our Resistance, And Will Be Passed Down From Generation To Generation,” declared al-Hayya.

Hamas terrorists emerging from the shadows as they surround Red Cross vehicles. (TPS-IL)

He said the jihadi organization will expel Israel from Palestine and Jerusalem and that this will happen soon, adding, “We will never forget and never forgive,” and vowing that Israel’s crimes will be punished, “even if it takes time.”

Conricus, a senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that only “Due to overwhelming international pressure applied on Israel throughout the last 15 months, which has prevented Israel from exercising the needed amount of leverage and pressure on Hamas in Gaza, this extortion deal is regrettably probably the best way of saving Israeli hostages.”

Retired IDF Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi (Res) told Fox News Digital that at this stage, the government is prioritizing bringing back the hostages. It is obviously urgent. Their situation is very bad.” He added “The government intends to go back fighting after the first stage unless there will be another cease-fire to get all the hostages. But there is no intention to give up destroying Hamas and creating a new reality in Gaza.”

BIDEN BALKS WHEN ASKED IF TRUMP DESERVES CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE DEAL: ‘IS THAT A JOKE?’

Hamas terrorists wave to Gazans during Sunday’s release of three Israeli hostages. (TPS-IL)

Caroline Glick, a conservative Israeli commentator, who is well versed in the Jewish state’s campaign to defeat Hamas, said on her podcast, “What we’re having now is a situation where we are being forced permanently into this position where we are not allowed to win because that is what the cease-fire effectively does to Israel.”

The cease-fire-for-hostages deal comes at a time when Israel has largely degraded Hamas’ military power. Hamas is in a feeble condition. Hezbollah, the main Hamas ally in the region, cut a cease-fire agreement with Israel and removed one of Iran-backed fronts against the Jewish state.

Iran’s regime has launched no new strikes against Israel since Jerusalem countered its October aerial attack.

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Suspected terrorists in Gaza come out of hiding as cease-fire for-hostages deal gets underway in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)

The deal contains deep concessions for Israel. The Jewish state will release up to 2,000 Palestinian terrorists, including over a hundred serving life sentences.

The expectation is based on previous releases of Palestinian terrorists for Israeli hostages involved in the Palestinian murderers returning to fight Israel.

TPS-IL reported on Monday that an estimated 20,000 terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terror groups have been killed in the war. On Sunday, it was also reported that Izz al-Din Haddad, commander of Hamas’s Northern Brigade, who oversaw Sunday’s transfer of three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, has been tapped as the Hamas leader to rebuild the terror organization.

January 23, 2025
Israel releases 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of cease-fire deal to free hostages

Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners to cheering crowds in the West Bank following the return of three Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Some supporters were seen waving Hamas flags after climbing on top of the buses carrying detainees from Israel’s Ofer prison, just outside the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to the Associated Press. All of those freed were women and teenagers who were being held on charges related to Israeli state security.

“There’s this double feeling we’re living in, on the one hand, this feeling of freedom, that we thank everyone for, and on the other hand, this pain, of losing so many Palestinian martyrs,” released detainee and political leader Khalida Jarrar told the news agency.

The 62-year-old is a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization. Jarrar has been in and out of Israeli prison in recent years and Human Rights Watch has previously called her arrests part of Israel’s wider crackdown on non-violent political opposition.

FIRST HOSTAGES RETURN TO ISRAEL AFTER 471 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY

A crowd gathers around a bus carrying released Palestinian prisoners as it arrives in the West Bank city of Beitunia early on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (AP/Leo Correa)

Bara’a Al-Fuqha, 22, hugged her family as she stepped off the white Red Cross bus and into the sea of cheering Palestinians.

A medical student at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem before her arrest, she had spent around six months in prison. She told the AP that she was held under administrative detention – a policy of indefinite imprisonment without formal charge or trial.

“Thank God, I am here with my family, I’m satisfied,” she said. “But my joy is limited, because so many among us Palestinians are being tortured and abused. Our people in Gaza are suffering. God willing, we will work to free them, too.”

AUBURN COACH BRUCE PEARL SLAMS HAMAS AFTER HOSTAGES ARE RELEASED

A Palestinian prisoner is greeted as he disembarks from a bus after being released from an Israeli prison in the West Bank city of Beitunia. (AP/Leo Correa)

The cease-fire and hostage deal involves Hamas gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza over the next six weeks in exchange for Israel releasing nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees from the West Bank and Gaza.

The first three hostages released by Hamas on Sunday, all young women, were identified as Doron Steinbrecher, 31; Romi Gonen, 24; and Emily Damari, 28.

Palestinians hold posters with the photo of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as they wait for the arrival of the released Palestinian prisoners, in the West Bank city of Beitunia, on Sunday, Jan. 19. (AP/Leo Correa)

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“Over the next few days, they will undergo a battery of medical tests in order to prepare proper treatments after enduring such a torturous experience at the hands of Hamas terrorists,” said Yitshak Kreiss, the director-general of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025
‘Ms. Rachel’ strikes deal with Netflix following conservative parents’ boycott

Evercore ISI senior managing director Mark Mahaney analyzes Uber and explains why he’s raising his Netflix price target on ‘Varney & Co.’

Parents looking for “Hop Little Bunnies” and other nursery rhymes by singer and songwriter Ms. Rachel to entertain their children will soon have another place to go besides YouTube.

Rachel Accurso has struck a deal with Netflix, and four episodes that “will include interactive lessons that teach letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and more” will be available for streaming on the platform starting on Monday, Jan. 27.

The episodes will be in English with subtitles available in 33 languages, Netflix says.

“With more than a billion views, Accurso has been described by some parents as their children’s Mister Rogers,” a press release states.

CONSERVATIVE PARENTS CALL TO BOYCOTT ‘MS. RACHEL’ OVER LATEST PRIDE MONTH VIDEO: ‘KIDS LOOK UP TO’ HER

“Ms. Rachel” is bringing her programming to Netflix on Jan. 27, 2025. (Netflix / Fox News)

Moms of toddlers are rejoicing on social media after the announcement was made.

“Thank God lol I’m so tired of my YouTube being filled with her,” one mom wrote in a Facebook group. “Now I can just go on Netflix.”

“Finally getting away from YouTube ads!” another chimed in.

“Omg I can cancel YouTube premium now,” a toddler mom wrote.

NETFLIX RAISES U.S. SUBSCRIBER PRICES, ATTRIBUTES SUCCESS TO ‘SQUID GAMES’ AND NFL GAMES PAUL-TYSON FIGHT

Aron Accurso and Rachel Griffin-Accurso, also known as Ms. Rachel, at Room To Grow’s 25th Anniversary Gala held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Oct. 25, 2023, in New York City. (John Nacion/Variety / Getty Images)

Accurso is a 42-year-old Maine native, according to Bangor Daily News. She has more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube, and millions follow her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, as well.

Last summer, the popular children’s YouTube creator sparked backlash on social media after she posted a video celebrating Pride Month – and issued a pointed message to parents who took issue with her remarks.

Ms. Rachel on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC / Getty Images)

The educational content creator, who is a viral sensation among babies and toddlers, seemingly anticipated fallout with some of her audience, then added, “To those who are going to comment, they can’t watch this show anymore because of this support, no worries and much love your way,” she said.

In 2023, Accurso said she was forced to take a “mental health break” after parents expressed outrage over her co-star Jules Hoffman asking to be referred to with the pronouns “they” and “them” on the show. Hoffman is transgender and non-binary.

Ms. Rachel attends the Sesame Workshop 2024 Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 29, 2024 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)

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Accurso also came under scrutiny when she announced she was creating a fundraiser to benefit children in conflict areas, including Gaza. Jewish mothers called out the YouTube sensation for failing to address the murdered Jewish children or those taken hostage on October 7. Many others questioned why Accurso wasn’t raising money for Israeli children affected by the war. Accurso later disabled comments on the fundraiser post and put out a statement on Instagram.

Her Instagram bio currently links to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

FOX News’ Yael Halon contributed to this report.

January 23, 2025
LIV’s Phil Mickelson ‘really excited’ about new TV deal with FOX as Year 4 of tour approaches

Six-time golf major champion Phil Mickelson discusses increasing the fan experience on ‘The Claman Countdown.’

In perhaps the biggest move for LIV Golf’s potential popularity, the league announced earlier this month a multiyear deal with FOX to have its tournaments broadcast on the network’s FOX Sports channels.

The league had previously been on The CW, but it continuously led to low ratings, despite more stars jumping ship from the PGA Tour.

The tour has even seen two of its golfers win major championships since the tour’s inception, with Brooks Koepka winning the 2023 PGA Championship and Bryson DeCheambeau taking home last year’s U.S. Open.

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Phil Mickelson tees off during the LIV Golf Invitational – Bangkok at Stonehill Golf Course on Oct. 7, 2022, in Pathum Thani, Thailand. (Peter Van der Klooster / Getty Images)

Koepka came close to winning the prior year’s Masters, but Jon Rahm took home the green jacket, then bolted to LIV that December on a deal rumored to be worth over $300 million.

The top stars of LIV are some of the game’s best, and six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, one of the first to join the tour, said he is “really excited” for the new TV deal.

“FOX has always been on the forefront of innovation and cutting edge fan experience and audience experience, and that’s exactly what LIV is trying to do with the golf world,” Mickelson told FOX Business’ “The Claman Countdown” on Wednesday. “It’s helping us create a lot of value for our sponsors, and sponsors are coming more now with the value that FOX brings. And hopefully, it’ll be added value for FOX and be consistent with that cutting edge, innovative, younger target audience.”

Phil Mickelson plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of the LIV Golf Miami tournament at Trump National Doral. (Sam Navarro-USA Today Sports / IMAGN)

Mickelson added that LIV Golf brings a new attitude to the sport.

“We’re trying to become an added value to the golf ecosystem. The old model was not getting the younger players involved, it wasn’t a global model. We’re the first global model for golf. We’re able to bring the best players, best teams throughout the world. That hasn’t been the case, so we’re trying to help grow the game on a global basis. We’re all additive. We’re all in this together. We want to grow the fanbase, we want to grow the game around the world,” said Mickelson

“The PGA Tour’s done a great job for many years, but it’s a national centric-based model, where we’re much more global, we’re much younger target audience, much younger in different demographics we’re trying to hit. We’re trying to make the fan experience on site much more enjoyable. We’re additive rather than competitive.”

Phil Mickelson plays his shot during the second round of the LIV Golf Bedminster tournament at Trump National Bedminster. (Vincent Carchietta-USA Today Sports / IMAGN)

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The fourth LIV season kicks off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 6.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

January 22, 2025