Four Israeli female soldiers, held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023, were released today. The women were brought in military uniforms, made to stand on a podium, and wave as they were handed over to Red Cross representatives. The vehicle transporting them has now left Gaza, marking another significant development in the ongoing conflict.
After 477 days in captivity,Four Israeli female soldiers 🇮🇱 Karina Aryeh,Daniela Gilboa,Naama Levy and Liri Elbag were released by Hamas in Palestine Square in غزة City.#MiddleEast #Gaza #RedCross #Netanyahu #فلسطين #Qatar #Egypt #غزه_انتصرت #Hamas #Trump #Jerusalem #حماس pic.twitter.com/ruhBPRqndB
— Sanjeev (@sun4shiva) January 25, 2025
This release follows an announcement by Hamas on Friday that they would free the four Israeli women soldiers as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza. The exchange is the second of its kind under the terms of the ceasefire deal.
The four soldiers were captured from the Nahal Oz military base, located just one kilometer from the Gaza border. Their release has been met with mixed reactions, as it further highlights the ongoing tension and delicate negotiations between the two sides.
Who are 4 Israeli Female Soldiers?
The soldiers—Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag—were handed over to the Red Cross and later transferred to Israeli military forces, according to AFP.
Soldiers who were held by Hamas, and whose disappearance during an attack launched on Israel by the Gaza group on October 7, 2023, had drawn a flurry of attention to themselves. A soldier is reported to be in the captivity of the Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, by a Palestinian source quoted by Reuters.
Israeli-Hamas Ceasefire Deal
The exchange is part of the ceasefire agreement between Qatar and Egypt, which has been in effect since January 19. This deal has halted the fighting between Israel and Hamas for the first time since a brief truce in November 2023. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages, including children, women, elderly people, and the sick and injured, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
This is the second hostages’ release, following Hamas’s release of three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners in the first swap. The deal also requires a pullback of Israeli troops from some positions in Gaza, furthering the fragile peace efforts.
