A dark-haired woman sits in front of multiple microphones and reads a statement from a piece of paper. Behind her are 2 images of hostages taken by Hamas-led militants on Oct. 7, 2023

Maureen Leshem’s 24-year-old cousin, who spent 471 days in captivity, is one of three hostages who were released Sunday as part of the first phase of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. About 90 Palestinian prisoners are also set to be released Sunday.