Who are the three Israeli hostages being released?

A daughter described as “happiest when she dances” will be among three Israeli women to be freed after 471 days held hostage by Hamas.

Romi Gonen, 24, was among those captured by the militant group as she tried to escape the Nova festival during the attack on October 7, 2023.

She is expected to be freed along with Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinary nurse, and Emily Damari, 28, who has dual British-Israeli citizenship.

Their release is part of the first phase of a deal between Israel and Hamas – a delay in getting the three names from Israel, which Hamas blamed on “technical field reasons”, pushed the ceasefire back by nearly three hours.

Romi traveled from her home in Kfar Veradim, in the north of Israel, to the Nova festival.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which represents her family, said she had gone “to do what she loves, dance” – something she studied for 12 years, acting in solo shows and becoming an “amazing choreographer”.

When the sirens went off as the Hamas attack unfolded, Romi called her family. Her mother, Meirav, recalled hearing gunshots and shouting in Arabic during her last conversation with her daughter.

Romi was ambushed by Hamas militants while trying to escape from the festival.

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

Doron, a 31-year-old veterinary nurse, was abducted from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Az when Hamas attacked.

Last May, her sister, Yamit Ashkenazi, wrote an emotional letter through the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, calling her “my sunshine.”

“I wish you could feel the energy we’re sending you,” it read.

“I wish you were aware of at least part of the battle we’re fighting here for your release. I wish you could feel everything. Loving you, longing for you, heartbroken but still fighting for you.”

And in an earlier post, Doron was described as “the glue that binds all her friends together, sensitive and witty, always smiling and the first to offer help.”

She studied theater and film at school, and developed a love for animals that led her to become a veterinary nurse.

In an interview with the BBC in November 2023, Doron’s sister Yamit talked about the new tattoo. It said, “As the sun we shall rise again,” but some of the sun’s rays were missing.

“It will be added when she’s home,” she added.

Emily, a 28-year-old who holds dual British-Israeli citizenship, was also taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Az during the October 7 attack.

As news of her release arrived on Sunday, a source close to her family said that it was “an agonizing 471 days, but an especially agonizing 24 hours”.

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

Emily has strong ties to the UK – she is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur and would often visit relatives, attend concerts, go shopping and visit the pub here.

Her mother, Mandy Damari, previously told the BBC that Emily was “the core of our family and the core is missing”.

“I love her to the moon and back, she is a special person,” she added.