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 emerging from a Palestinian vehicle and were handed over to an International Committee of the Red Cross team in Gaza.
Dozens of masked and armed Hamas and fellow Islamic Jihad militants gathered Saturday in a Gaza City square, where a stage was set up, as a crowd of Palestinians gathered for their release.
A banner hanging from the podium reading Zionism in Hebrew will not prevail. '
The women were brought onto a stage after exiting a Palestinian vehicle, squeezing and waving to the crowd in joy and relief.
Meanwhile, in Israel, hundreds cheered as they watched a livestream of the hostage release.
Their release comes under the latest phase of the ceasefire deal 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 fair, including 120 serving life sentences and 80 prisoners serving other long sentences.
Hamas said on Saturday that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released would be deported outside Gaza and the West Bank.
The release of Daniella Gilboa, NAAMA Levy, Karina Ariev, who are all 20, and Liri Albag, 19, comes under the final phase of the ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza
Four Israeli soldiers have been released by Hamas after 15 nightmare months in Gaza
Their identities have not yet been published, but they are likely to include members of militant groups convicted of deadly attacks that have killed dozens of people.
The four women released today were soldiers stationed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza when they were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Today's exchange is the second since the ceasefire began on Sunday last week, with Hamas handing 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 the families who have fought relentlessly together to bring them all home.
Video of their kidnapping broadcast in May showed the five conscripts, pajama-clad and stunned and some bloodied, bound and bundled into a jeep.
The footage was recovered from body cameras worn by gunmen who attacked the Nahal Oz base in southern Israel, where the women served as security spotters.
The list was also notable for the absence of 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.
Israel Defense 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 have been set for release. Officials warned that the deal's continuation could be delayed.
Agam Berger's cousin Ashley Waxman Bakshi, 38, told The Mail that the terror group is using the hostage release to continue its “psychological warfare” against Israelis.
Israeli hostage, Liri Albag, a soldier seized from her army base in southern Israel during the deadly October 7, 2023
Daniela Gilboa is one of four female Israeli soldiers freed on Saturday
Karina Ariev is one of four female Israeli soldiers held hostage for 15 months
“It is so cruel and evil that the five girls are being split,” she said hours before announcing that her relative would not be freed today.
'It's just terrible because we've done everything together for the last 15 and a half months.
“It's really the highest level of evil and psychological warfare that they're doing to the families by tearing us apart like that.”
She spoke at a ceremony where Agam's mother Meirav, 48, prayed for her daughter's safe return to 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 count the minutes and wait with bated breath for everyone's return. '
Mrs. Berger ended the prayer by adding, “This country will not rest when all our hostages are home. This is my promise. '
The first-phase deal, which will see 33 hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, states that Hamas must let Israel know who it frees 24 hours in advance.
But in the first week they were 18 hours late and still haven't declared how many of those being released impotently are alive.
It means that Israelis face an agonizing wait every week to discover who is alive and who will be released. Ms. Waxman Bakshi compared it to some of the darkest days of Jewish history.
NAAMA Levy is one of the hostages currently held in Gaza who will be released on Saturday
“It's just a terrible feeling that we've gone back to the days of the Holocaust, where we have lists that determine who's fate is going to be.”
Hamas should let Israel know today how many of the 30 hostages remaining in the first phase are alive. But it is feared that they will not name them, only mentioning the number of lives of each category – women, elderly and sick – to prolong the suffering of the families.
It is hoped that Agam will be released this Saturday. She was serving nationally as an unarmed observer at Nahal Oz's base when she was captured along with Daniella, Naama, Karina and Liri.
