4 Israeli women soldiers, captive for 477 days, released by Hamas

Hamas handed over four female Israeli soldiers to the International Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday as part of a truce agreement in Gaza. The soldiers, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, had been held for 477 days.

Before the transfer, the women appeared on a stage set up by Hamas in a square in Gaza City. They were dressed in military-style uniforms and carried bags provided by their captors, The Times of Israel reported.

The four soldiers waved and smiled before being escorted into ICRC vehicles, which would take them to Israeli forces.

They are being freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire deal intended to end the 15-month-long war in Gaza.

The soldiers were stationed at an observation post near Gaza and were captured by Hamas during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

One of the soldiers had been held by Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian source was cited by news agency Reuters in its report.

Hamas has said that 200 prisoners will be released on Saturday as part of the swap. These prisoners are expected to include members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), with some serving life sentences.

Saturday’s exchange will be the second since the ceasefire began on Sunday. Hamas had previously released three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire, negotiated through months of talks led by Qatar and Egypt with support from the United States, has stopped the fighting for the first time since a brief truce in November 2023.

Under the terms of the truce deal, which began on Sunday, Israeli forces are expected to partially withdraw from a key area in central Gaza following the prisoner swap, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza.