Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 20, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 20, 2025
‘The nightmare is over!’: Images show freed hostages on helicopter after being freed from Gaza
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Former hostages Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari are seen on an IAF helicopter heading from an army facility near the Gaza border to a hospital in central Israel, January 19, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
New footage shows former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher being taken by helicopter from an army facility near the Gaza border to a hospital in central Israel after 471 days in Hamas captivity.
“The nightmare is over!” Emily Damari writes on a whiteboard during the helicopter ride.
The video also shows Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar alongside the three hostages. Bar had flown the chopper from an airbase to the facility near the border ahead of the hostages’ release.
