Ascultă Live

Ascultă Radio România Internațional Live

Reactions as three Gaza hostages freed

The Gaza ceasefire agreement is showing its first results: 90 Palestinian prisoners and 3 Israeli hostages have been freed

Photo: Agerpres / EPA
Photo: Agerpres / EPA

, 20.01.2025, 14:00

 

Three Israeli hostages were released on Sunday by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, more than 15 months after they were kidnapped in a terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. Israel, in turn, freed 90 Palestinian prisoners, teenagers and women, from its prisons.

 

It was the first exchange of prisoners after the ceasefire agreement in the Palestinian enclave. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel reports that Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, aged between 24 and 31, were released after 471 days of captivity, and adds that, after an initial checkup, the three were taken to a hospital in the center of the country, where they will remain for several days, for full examinations. They seem to have returned to the country in good health.

 

Doron Steinbrecher, a veterinary assistant, also has Romanian citizenship. Romi Gonen, a dancer, has Romanian roots, as do several hundred thousand other Israelis.

 

Through its ministry of foreign affairs, Romania welcomes the release of the first Israeli hostages after 15 months in captivity. In a statement, Bucharest thanks all the national stakeholders, including top-level institutions, for their excellent and permanent cooperation.

 

“The release of the first hostages after the agreement was signed is a time of joy and relief for the families. The ceasefire agreement must be fully implemented in order to ensure the safe return of those still detained and to end the suffering of their families and loved ones, as well as of the civilian population in Gaza. At the same time, the implementation of the agreement paves the way for a lasting peace, which would ensure the security of the region as well as the reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” the statement reads.

 

Romania also praises what it calls the substantial efforts of the United States, Egypt and Qatar in brokering the deal between Israel and Hamas.

 

Under the agreement, a total of 33 hostages and over a thousand Palestinian prisoners should be released in a first stage. The deal would also increase the volume of humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza, where, since the start of the Israeli military intervention, almost 47,000 people have been killed.

 

In a second stage, Hamas is to release the last 65 hostages, while Israel is to pull out its troops from the enclave.

 

According to Romanian mass media, Romania’s Ambassador to Israel Radu Ioanid calls for moderate optimism, because the situation in the Middle East is very fluid, and “what is gray today is pink tomorrow and black the day after.” (AMP)

Ilie Bolojan (Credits: presidency.ro)
Today in the News Friday, 28 March 2025

Paris hosts Ukraine summit

At the summit hosted by Paris, representatives of countries that have expressed their willingness to help Ukraine held talks on the security and...

Paris hosts Ukraine summit
Constitutional Court rejects Călin Georgescu's presidential candidacy (photo: Facebook / Curtea Constituțională a României)
Today in the News Friday, 28 March 2025

Drones can be downed legally

The Constitutional Court of Romania rejected, on Thursday, the complaints of the sovereigntist parties AUR, POT and S.O.S. Romania regarding two...

Drones can be downed legally
Parliament of Romania (Photo: gov.ro)
Today in the News Thursday, 27 March 2025

New legislation for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan

Romanian MPs on Wednesday passed two bills that Romania pledged to adopt as part of its Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The first concerns...

New legislation for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan
Finance Minister Tánczos Barna (Photo: gov.ro)
Today in the News Thursday, 27 March 2025

Romania cuts state expenses

The rising budget deficit has prompted the Romanian administration to take aggressive measures to cut state expenditure. Cuts were made to budgets,...

Romania cuts state expenses
Today in the News Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Romanians still need visas for the US

The US has suspended the visa waiver program for Romanians, which, according to a decision by the former Democratic administration of Joe Biden, was...

Romanians still need visas for the US
Today in the News Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Romania and energy independence

The companies Romgaz and OMV Petrom announced that they have started drilling for the development and exploitation of natural gas deposits in the...

Romania and energy independence
Today in the News Tuesday, 25 March 2025

From spending cuts to tax increases

  Over the past few years, Romania has spent more than it could afford. This is the conclusion reached by the interim president Ilie Bolojan,...

From spending cuts to tax increases
Today in the News Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Eurobarometer winter survey

With a major conflict on the country’s eastern border, which is creating major concerns for more distant European states and forcing urgent...

Eurobarometer winter survey

Parteneri

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Afilieri RRI

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Furnizori de servicii de difuzare/redifuzare

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company