Four female Israeli soldier hostages handed over by Hamas under Gaza ceasefire
Four female Israeli soldier hostages handed over by Hamas under Gaza ceasefire
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Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, become second wave of captives to be released under truce. Hamas has handed over four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza, as Palestinians in the West Bank await the release of detainees, in the second release of a fragile ceasefire.
Four soldiers – Karina Ariev, 20, Daniela Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19 – who were released on Saturday were all stationed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza and abducted by Hamas fighters who overran their base during the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. A Palestinian source told Reuters that one of the soldiers was being held by Islamic Jihad.
In a clear show of force on Saturday morning, dozens of masked and armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants gathered at Palestine Square in Gaza City, where Red Cross vehicles pulled up to carry out the transfer. The militants set up a podium in Palestine Square where representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross signed documents confirming the handover, as thousands cheered from the crowd.
The women, wearing khaki-coloured military-style clothing, were walked by Hamas fighters onto the stage, where they gave thumbs-up gestures, peace signs, smiled, and waved at the crowd. The Israeli military later confirmed that the hostages had been transferred.
