Israel has released 200 Palestinian prisoners after Hamas freed four hostages on Saturday in the latest transfer under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Hamas handed four Israeli hostages over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza on Saturday and they were handed on to the Israel Defense Forces. The four soldiers have now been reunited with their families.
Hours later, Israel freed 200 jailed Palestinians. The majority of the prisoners were transferred to Ramallah, while several dozen were released into Egypt. Another 16 were also sent to Gaza. Crowds of Palestinians celebrated as the freed prisoners reached Ramallah.
The transfer was the second made under the Qatari- and Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal that was supervised by Washington, after three civilian women hostages were exchanged for 90 Palestinian detainees on January 19th.
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Another 26 woman, elderly or infirm hostages, along with hundreds more Palestinian prisoners, are due for release as part of an initial six-week truce. Several are believed to have died in captivity.
The four Israeli soldiers freed were led on to a podium in Gaza City amid a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men. They were then led off and entered ICRC vehicles that transported them to Israeli forces.
The four – Karina Ariev (20), Daniella Gilboa (20), Naama Levy (20), and Liri Albag (19) – were captured in the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack.
They were taken from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there. The women abductees had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border.
A fifth women soldier in their unit, Agam Berger (20) was abducted with them but not included in the list.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that Arbel Yehoud, a civilian hostage held by Hamas, was supposed to have been released on Saturday.
It said Israel would not allow Palestinians to begin returning to northern Gaza until she is freed.
The hostage, Arbel Yehud, will be released next Saturday, a Hamas official said.
When the Gaza war ceasefire started last Sunday, three hostages held by the militants were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children.
Crowds began to gather in Tel Aviv and Gaza City on Saturday ahead of the expected swap between Israel and Hamas of more hostages for Palestinian prisoners, the second such exchange since a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip last weekend and another test for the deal.
The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group.
The fragile deal has so far held, quieting air strikes and rockets and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory. – Agencies
