First round of Israeli hostages returned: Following the recently negotiated ceasefire with Israel, Hamas released three Israeli women it had taken hostage during its terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. The women — 23, 28, and 31 years of age — had been held captive for 471 days, and it's hard to fathom the horrors they were subjected to by Hamas. There were celebrations in Tel Aviv and New York's Central Park in response to the hostages coming home. These first three women are just the start, as Hamas still holds 97 hostages, some of whom died in captivity. The first phase of the deal is for Hamas to release 33 hostages while Israel will hand over roughly 1,000 jailed Palestinian terrorists. The remaining 64 hostages that Hamas holds will be addressed in subsequent negotiations
