Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday released four female Israeli hostages, who were captured on October 7, 2023, to the Red Cross in Gaza City. The hostages, dressed in IDF uniforms, were handed over in a key square where dozens of armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters had gathered.
The four hostages were Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said.
The militants, carrying weapons and group banners, formed a cordon around the area to keep crowds back.
The hostages were part of a group of approximately 250 men, women, and children taken captive by Hamas during an October 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel. The assault resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and triggered the war in Gaza. Around 100 hostages were freed during a temporary ceasefire in November of that year, while the bodies of roughly three dozen captives have been found in Gaza, and the Israeli army has rescued eight others.
The exchange is part of a ceasefire deal, which includes the gradual release of 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The deal began with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.
According to Gaza health authorities, over 47,000 Palestinians have been killed during the 15-month conflict, with significant destruction across the territory.