Four Israeli soldiers have been released by Hamas after 15 nightmare months in Gaza.
The release of Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, who are all 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were seen stepping out of vehicles and handed over to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza.
Dozens of masked and armed Hamas and fellow Islamic Jihad militants gathered at a square in Gaza City on Saturday, where a podium was set up, as a crowd of Palestinians gathered round ahead of their release.
A banner hanging off the stage read in Hebrew ‘Zionism will not prevail.’
The women were brought onto a stage after exiting a Palestinian vehicle, as they beaned with joy and relief and waved to the crowds.
Meanwhile in Israel, hundreds cheered as they watched a livestream of the hostage release.
Their release comes under the latest phase of the ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.
The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected 200 prisoners to be freed on Saturday as part of the exchange, including 120 serving life sentences and 80 prisoners with other lengthy sentences.
Hamas said on Saturday that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners set to be freed would be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank.
Four Israeli soldiers have been released by Hamas after 15 nightmare months in Gaza
The release of Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, who are all 20, and Liri Albag, 19, comes under the latest phase of the ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza
Their identities have not yet been published but they are likely to include members of militant groups convicted for deadly attacks that killed dozens of people.
The four women released today were soldiers stationed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza when they were abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Today’s exchange is the second since the ceasefire began on Sunday last week and Hamas handed over three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas announced yesterday that the four female soldiers would be released, but cruelly, soldier Agam Berger, 20, was not included in the list, splitting up the families who have campaigned relentlessly together to bring them all home.
Video of their abduction aired in May showed the five conscripts, pyjama-clad and stunned and some bloodied, being bound and bundled into a jeep.
The footage was recovered from bodycams worn by gunmen who attacked the Nahal Oz base in southern Israel where the women served as surveillance spotters.
The list was also notable for the absence of the female civilians, Arbel Yehud, 29, and Shiri Bibas, 30, as well as her sons Kfir, two, and Ariel, five, who should have been released before female soldiers.
The Israel Defence Forces and representatives of the families called on commentators not to speculate on their status as Israeli officials accused Hamas of violating the terms of the deal.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded to know why no civilians are set for release. Officials warned the continuation of the deal may be delayed.
Agam Berger’s cousin Ashley Waxman Bakshi, 38, told the Mail the terror group is using the hostage release to continue its ‘psychological warfare’ against Israelis.
Israeli hostage, Liri Albag, a soldier who was seized from her army base in southern Israel during the deadly October 7, 2023
Daniela Gilboa is among the four female Israeli soldiers to be freed on Saturday
Karina Ariev is among the four female Israeli soldiers who were held hostage for 15 months
‘It is so cruel and evil that the five girls are being split,’ she said hours before the announcement that her relative would not be freed today.
‘It’s just awful because we’ve done everything together for the past 15 and a half months.
‘It really is the highest level of evil and psychological warfare they’re doing to the families by ripping us apart like that.’
She was speaking at a ceremony where Agam’s mother Meirav, 48, prayed for her daughter’s safe return in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Mrs Berger, supported by her husband, Shlomi, 52, said in a prayer: ‘The return of our beloved daughters is approaching, God willing. We are counting the minutes and waiting with bated breath for everyone’s return.’
Mrs Berger finished the prayer by adding: ‘This land will not rest until all our hostages are home. This is my promise.’
The first phase agreement that will see 33 hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners states that Hamas must let Israel know who it is freeing 24 hours in advance.
But on the first week they were 18 hours late and have still not stated how many of those due to be released imminently are alive.
It means Israelis face a torturous wait each week to discover who is living and who will be freed. Ms Waxman Bakshi compared it to some of the darkest days of Jewish history.
Naama Levy is one of the hostages currently being held in Gaza and set to be freed on Saturday
‘It’s just an awful feeling that we’ve gone back to the days of the Holocaust, where we have lists determining who’s going to have what fate.’
Hamas should let Israel know today how many of the 30 hostages remaining in the first phase are alive. But it is feared they won’t name them, only state the number of the living out of each category – women, elderly, and sick – to prolong the families’ suffering.
It is hoped Agam will be freed next Saturday. She was doing national service as an unarmed observer at Nahal Oz base when she was taken captive along with Daniella, Naama, Karina, and Liri.
