Hamas frees four female Israeli soldiers in prisoner swap under Gaza ceasefire deal
Hamas frees four female Israeli soldiers in prisoner swap under Gaza ceasefire deal
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Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement to end the 15-month war in Gaza. The four soldiers were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday, live TV footage showed. They were led onto a podium in Gaza City, surrounded by a large crowd of Palestinians and dozens of armed Hamas fighters.
Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag waved and smiled before being escorted to ICRC vehicles, which transported them to Israeli forces. They had all been 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 October 7, 2023.
One of the soldiers had been held by Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian source told Reuters, although it was not stated which of the four this related to. Hamas said 200 prisoners will be freed on Saturday as part of the exchange. They are expected to include members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), some serving life sentences.
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Saturday's planned exchange will be the second since a ceasefire began on Sunday and Hamas handed over three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. Among those released was British-Israeli Emily Damari who was seen to emotionally reunite with her mother.
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