As part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, Hamas has returned 4 female Israeli soldiers to the International Red Cross (ICRC). The soldiers, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, were in captivity for 477 days.
Prior to the transfer, the women came on a stage arranged by Hamas in a plaza in Gaza City. According to The Times of Israel, they wore military-style clothing and had bags supplied by their captors.
The four soldiers smiled and waved before being guided into ICRC vehicles, which were set to transport them to Israeli forces.
They are being released in return for Palestinian detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at concluding the 15-month-long conflict in Gaza.
The troops were assigned to an observation site close to Gaza and were seized by Hamas amid the assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.
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A Palestinian source quoted by the news agency Reuters reported that one of the soldiers had been captured by Islamic Jihad.
Hamas has announced that 200 detainees will be freed on Saturday as part of the exchange. These detainees are anticipated to encompass individuals from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), with several facing life sentences.
Saturday’s exchange will be the second since the truce started on Sunday. Hamas had earlier freed three Israeli civilians in return for 90 Palestinian detainees.
