Four Israeli women soldiers, held hostage by Hamas, return to Israel

TEL AVIV: Four Israeli hostages, soldiers Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, have crossed the border and returned to Israel, The Times of Israel reported, citing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The released soldiers were escorted out of the Gaza Strip by Israeli special forces after being handed over to them by the Red Cross. The IDF is taking them to a facility near the border for an initial checkup and to reunite with their families for the first time after being held in Hamas captivity for 477 days.

These soldiers, who were members of the IDF’s surveillance unit, were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, attack at the Nahal Oz post. In a post on X, IDF stated, “Liri, Daniella, Naama and Karina Are Home.”

It also shared a video which showed the families of hostages getting happy after seeing their loved ones for the first time after coming back home. Female surveillance soldier Agam Berger continues to remain as hostage in Hamas captivity. The five women soldiers were abducted by Hamas from the Nahal Oz base on October 7.

While sharing the video on X, the IDF wrote, “The moment when tears of sadness turned into tears of joy as the released hostages’ families saw their loved ones finally coming back home”.

Earlier, footage from Tel Aviv Hostages Square showed the crowd erupting into cheers as Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag as Hamas set free the hostages and handed them over to the International Red Cross, The Times of Israel reported.

The people applauded repeatedly as first pictures of the women were shown and news reports said that they were handed over to the IDF. Many crowd members were wearing bright yellow shirts, expressing solidarity with the hostages, and carried pictures of those returning home today.

Meanwhile, Hamas has announced that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners, who will be released by Israel today will be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank, the report said.

Israel has said that Palestinians who have been convicted of killing Israelis should be permanently deported if they are released under the hostage- ceasefire agreement, and would not be granted permission to return to homes in the West Bank or Gaza.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday confirmed receiving a second list of hostages set to be released by Hamas tomorrow, provided by mediators, The Times of Israel reported.

Last Sunday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had confirmed that Hamas released the first three hostages as part of the ceasefire framework. The hostages were returned to Israeli territory after 471 days in Gaza. The IDF had shared a photo of the hostages, captioned, “They’re home”, as they were transferred to a reception point in southern Israel for an initial medical assessment.

That marked the official start of the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal, which was delayed shortly before implementation due to concerns about Hamas’ commitment to providing a list of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had emphasised that any violations would “not be tolerated”.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting over 200 others. Over 46,000 Palestinians have been also killed in Gaza in Israel’s counter-offensive against Hamas. Earlier, over 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. (ANI)