Hamas Says Technical Issue Prevented Release of Israeli Civilian Hostage

The Palestinian militant movement Hamas released four female Israeli soldier hostages on Jan 25, in return for some 200 Palestinian prisoners, in keeping with a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.

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The four were led onto a podium in Gaza City amid a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men.

They waved and smiled before being led off, entering ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) vehicles that would transport them to Israeli forces.

The four soldiers - Ms. Karina Ariev, Ms. Daniela Gilboa, Ms. Naama Levy, and Ms. Liri Albag - were all stationed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza and abducted by Hamas fighters who overran their base during the attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

Their parents, watching the handover live from a nearby military base across the border, clapped and cried out in joy when they saw them on screen.

In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis gathered at the so-called Hostages Square, crying, embracing, and cheering as it was aired on a giant screen. They were reunited with their family soon after, according to the military, and will be taken to a hospital in central Israel, the Israeli Health Ministry said.

Photos published by the Israeli military showed them embracing tightly with their parents, in smiles and tears.

Buses carrying the Palestinian prisoners were seen departing from Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank, soon after the Israeli hostages were freed.