Hamas hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag have been handed over to the Red Cross.
The transfer happened in Palestine Square in Gaza City this morning, surrounded by armed men in balaclavas and a crowd of onlookers.
Members of the Al-Quds Brigades, also known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, were also present, CNN has reported.
Hamas fighters escort the female Israeli hostages to hand them over to a team from the Red Cross (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)
The IDF said Israeli Air Force helicopters were ready to take the four hostages to a hospital after an initial check-up at an army facility near the border.
After that, they are slated to meet their parents for the first time since being kidnapped 477 days ago.
In exchange, Jerusalem is expected to release 200 Palestinian terrorists (50 for each soldier — 30 serving life sentences and 20 who were supposed to remain in prison for up to 15 years).
Terrorists who were “convicted of murder, of manufacturing weapons used for murder, or of directing the carrying out a fatal attack” are to be deported to the Gaza Strip or abroad, instead of to Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem.
Hamas militants handed over the four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross after parading them on a stage (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)
Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, Hamas was supposed to free female civilian hostages before soldiers. One civilian woman, 29-year-old Arbel Yehud, remains in Gaza. It is not clear whether her exclusion from today’s release will complicate the agreement.
Shiri Bibas, 33, another female civilian hostage, was taken with her two children, and they are included on the list of the 33 hostages to be released. Hamas, however, claimed in November that they were killed.
Israel has been glued to its screens for the handover of Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19.
Karina, a soldier at the Nahal Oz base, was abducted during the attack, as her sister Alexandra heard gunfire during a phone call between the two. A video released by Hamas later showed Karina being taken away in a vehicle.
Daniella another soldier based at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, appeared in a video released in July 2024, where she appealed for the Israeli government to secure the release of all hostages.
Likewise, Naama was seen in another Hamas video, her hands tied behind her back as she was bundled into a jeep. She had only just begun her military service when she was captured.
Karina, a soldier at the Nahal Oz base, was abducted during the attack, as her sister Alexandra heard gunfire during a phone call between the two. A video released by Hamas later showed Karina being taken away in a vehicle.
Daniella another soldier based at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, appeared in a video released in July 2024, where she appealed for the Israeli government to secure the release of all hostages.
Likewise, Naama was seen in another Hamas video, her hands tied behind her back as she was bundled into a jeep. She had only just begun her military service when she was captured.
(Clockwise) Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy
Similarly, Liri had just entered military training as a lookout at the Nahal Oz base when the attack took place. Her family has received messages from her through other released hostages.
Liri Albag, 19, had just started military training as an Army lookout at the Nahal Oz base when Hamas attacked
This release follows the return of three other Hamas captives last Sunday, including British citizen Emily Damari, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas enters its second week.
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There are still three female hostages remaining from the original list of 33, who are slated for release in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
They are Arbel Yehud, 29, Shiri Silberman Bibas, 33, and Agam Berger, 21. Israeli officials have communicated to Hamas that Yehud is expected to be released over the weekend.
