SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Three female hostages from Israel, held by Hamas in Gaza for 15 months, were released today in an emotional first day of a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group. The agreement seeks to end more than 15 months of war in Gaza that began with Hamas attacking Israel and taking hostages. For more, NPR's Greg Myre joins me from Tel Aviv. Hey, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.
DETROW: Tell us more about who was released today.
MYRE: So these are three Israeli civilian women, ages 24 to 31, all seized by Hamas in the attack that ignited this war on October 7, 2023. The Israel-Hamas deal calls for these staggered releases of hostages and prisoners, and Hamas freed these Israelis in a chaotic scene in Gaza City. Masked Hamas gunmen drove a van carrying the women into a crowded square in the city, jam-packed with Palestinians. The women were handed over to the Red Cross, which in turn delivered them to the Israeli military. They were then whisked back to Israel and all greeted with big hugs by their mothers.
DETROW: That must've been emotional.
MYRE: Absolutely. The Israeli women were flown by a helicopter to the hospital near Tel Aviv and then received a rousing welcome. They were all able to walk on their own, and some of the photos released by the Israeli military showed them smiling. One photo, one of the women, Emily Damari, held up her bandaged left hand to show that two fingers were missing. They were apparently lost when she was shot the day she was captured more than 15 months ago. And Scott, it's hard to overstate how much Israelis have invested emotionally in getting the hostages home. It's a constant topic of discussion in the media. Billboards and posters are everywhere. There's regular rallies in the main square in Tel Aviv. So today was a huge deal, though more than 90 hostages remain.
DETROW: OK, more than 90 hostages on that side. And as part of the exchange, Israel is supposed to release almost 100 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Has that happened yet?
MYRE: No, Scott, it hasn't. It's now just past midnight here, early Monday, and the Palestinians still haven't been released from a prison in the West Bank. Palestinian women and males who are minors are set to be freed. And this delay is reminiscent of one of the other hostage and prisoner swaps in early in the war in November of 2023. The number of Palestinians being released then was also larger than the number of Israelis, and it took a long time to process the Palestinians. So this may be a scenario we're going to see time and again in the coming weeks, but the release of these Palestinians is still supposed to happen tonight. And as the ceasefire took effect earlier in the day, Palestinian civilians celebrated in the streets of Gaza. Some waved Hamas flags and chanted Hamas slogans. Some Hamas fighters with their weapons came out in the open. So this is just anecdotal based on what we saw in public today, but clearly Hamas remains a substantial presence in Gaza.
DETROW: Yeah. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., this is President Biden's last full day in office. This war has consumed so much of his presidency. He spoke about this ceasefire today. What did he say?
MYRE: Yeah, he said that, quote, "after so much pain, destruction and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent." Biden and his team long sought a ceasefire here, and the one reached this past week was virtually identical to what Biden proposed way back in May. Yet President-elect Trump claimed credit saying he was the one who helped push this across the finish line. And to sort of drive that home, the family of one hostage who was released issued a statement expressing gratitude to Trump, but the statement made no mention of Biden or any Israeli political leaders.
DETROW: That is NPR's Greg Myre in Tel Aviv. Thank you so much.
MYRE: Sure thing, Scott.
DETROW: And later in the show, we will talk to someone in Gaza about what Day 1 of the ceasefire has been like there. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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