Hamas has freed four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza, handing them over to Red Cross representatives at Palestine Square in Gaza City as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
In return, Israel is set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. The exchange took place amid a gathering of masked Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, with a large crowd of Palestinians present at the location. Alongside Hamas, members of other Palestinian factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, were also in attendance.
The released soldiers—Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19—were captured during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on the Nahal Oz military base near Gaza, where more than 60 Israeli soldiers were killed. The soldiers were part of a unit responsible for border surveillance. A fifth soldier, Agam Berger, 20, was also captured but was not included in the current exchange.
Following the swap, Israel is expected to withdraw from the Netzarim corridor, which divides Gaza into two parts, and allow displaced Palestinians from the south to return to their homes in the north. However, movement will initially be restricted to pedestrians, with vehicular access to follow later.
Ceasefire Agreement Phases
The truce, mediated by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. support, paused the fighting for the first time since a brief ceasefire in November 2023.
In the first phase of the agreement, Hamas agreed to release 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. The next phase will focus on negotiations for the release of remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which has suffered extensive destruction after 15 months of conflict.
The war began after Hamas’ October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Since then, Gaza’s health authorities report that more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed.
While the release of the first group of hostages was met with emotional reactions in Israel, some Israelis are concerned that the deal may collapse once women, children, and vulnerable hostages are freed, leaving male hostages of military age at risk.
Critics within the Israeli government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, argue that the agreement benefits Hamas, which has maintained a presence in Gaza despite Israel’s efforts to eliminate it. Some hardliners are calling for a resumption of military operations after the first phase of the deal concludes.
Despite the loss of many top leaders and fighters, Hamas’ police force has reappeared in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect.
