Israel army says freed Gaza hostages reunited with their mothers

The Israeli military said three women hostages freed by Hamas on Sunday as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal were reunited with their mothers inside Israel, before being flown to hospital.

"The three returnees have just arrived at the initial reception point in the Gaza envelope area, and they are now meeting with their mothers," the military said.

Shortly afterwards, they were flown together to a hospital in central Israel.

The military shared an image on social media of Emily Damari alongside her mother smiling and waving with a heavily bandaged hand.

In footage released by the military, all three women were seen earlier in the evening emerging from a Red Cross SUV and being welcomed by army personnel.

Wearing baggy sweatsuits with roll-necks underneath, they stepped out of the car smiling to be greeted by female army staff.

In the footage one of the released hostages, Romi Gonen, is seen tightly embracing a female soldier.

They were then loaded into a van and taken to Reim Army Base, the Gaza headquarters for the Israeli military that was assaulted by Hamas fighters during its 7 October 2023 attack, where the trio were reunited with their mothers.

Later, the six women were taken by military helicopter to Sheba Hospital where soldiers deployed a pop-up tunnel to shield them from crowds that had gathered to greet them, an AFP journalist reported.

Amid cheers from the public, the women were loaded onto a bus and taken into the hospital to meet the rest of their family members.