Hamas Releases 4 Female Israeli Soldiers in Exchange for 200 Palestinian Prisoners Amid Ceasefire

Hamas Releases 4 Female Israeli Soldiers in Exchange for 200 Palestinian Prisoners Amid Ceasefire

The four women Israeli troops who were captured in the incident that started the conflict that erupted in Gaza came back home to Israel on Saturday following Hamas militants had paraded them in front of an audience of tens of thousands within Gaza City and handed them over to the Red Cross. Israel then released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of the second exchange in a weak ceasefire.

They were four Israelis who smiled at each other, waved their hands and gave the thumbs-up on a platform at Palestine Square, with armed and masked militants on the other side of the stage as Hamas tried to demonstrate that that it was in control in Gaza in the aftermath of 15 months conflict. The hostages probably had to act under pressure. Previous releases stated that they were held in savage conditions and were forced to make propaganda videos.

Its Prison Service later said it released 200 Palestinians, which included 121 prisoners who were sentenced to life after being found guilty of committing deadly assaults against Israelis and others detained without charges.

200 Palestinian Prisoners Released Amid Jubilation in West Bank

Many thousands of Palestinians in the Israeli-controlled West Bank city of Ramallah welcomed their arrival. Many of the people who were released were wearing Hamas headbands that were handed out by the crowd. Looking smug and dressed in gray prison sweatshirts, some were seated on their supporters’ shoulders. In one of the first big snags, Israel said it would not permit displaced Palestinians to be allowed to return to the northern part of Gaza as was expected on Sunday, as an innocent hostage, who was scheduled to be released Arbel Yehoud, had yet to be released.

The mediators spoke about the hundreds of Palestinians who stood in the vicinity of the Netzarim corridor, an east-west road that divides Gaza, eager to move north.

“Why are they treating us like this?” I asked one person, Khalil Abd.

Israeli forces killed and shot the body of a Palestinian man near the Netzarim corridor, Palestinian medical officials said. Israel’s military did not promptly comment. Israel insists on the release of civil hostage Arbel Yehoud.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet has stated that Israel will not permit Palestinians to return to Gaza’s northern region until Gaza, when Yehoud, the civilian who was rescued from a kibbutz by Hamas in October. 7 2023 attack that set off the war was released.

Hamas claimed it holds Israel accountable for “any delay in implementing the agreement and its repercussions.”

A top Hamas official claimed that the mediation team was informed that Yehoud was scheduled for release in the coming week. A senior Egyptian official who was involved in negotiations described the issue as a “minor issue” that mediators are working on resolving. Both spoke anonymously because they couldn’t discuss the issue publicly.

A spokesperson said that the U.S. National Security Council is continuing to press for Yehoud’s release.

Who are the prisoners and soldiers who are released?

Four Israeli troops, Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20 as well as Liri Albag, who is 19, were removed away from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza at the time Palestinian militants seized the base and killed around 60 soldiers who were there.

The four children squealed as they raced to hug family members. When they arrived in a helicopter in front of the Tel Aviv hospital, which declared them stable, crowds of people danced and screamed.

“I had goosebumps watching them,” said Aviv Bercovich in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. “I just want the war to end.”

A five-year-old female from their group, Agam Berger, 20 years old, was also taken away. “Now she’s there alone,” said Yoni Collins, an acquaintance from the family.

Gaza City resident Radwan Abu Rawiya accompanied him to witness the handover. “This is huge,” he told reporters. “People forgot about the war, destruction and are celebrating.”

A video that was later released by Hamas, the armed wing of Hamas, shows the hostages expressing their gratitude to Hamas militants in Arabic to thank them for their “good treatment,” again probably under pressure.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Israel’s army spokesperson, is adamant. Daniel Hagari criticized what he described as”the “cynical” display by Hamas. He also stated that Israel is worried about two hostages who are the youngest -Ariel Bibas and Kfir Bibas Kfir Bibas and Ariel Bibas — and their mother, Shiri. Kfir Bibas celebrated his second birthday in captivity on the same day.

Among some of the 200 Palestinian prisoners released included Mohammad Odeh, 52, and Wael Qassim, who is 54, suspected of committing a series of fatal Hamas attacks on Israelis as well as an attack on a cafeteria of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2002 that killed nine persons among them five U.S. citizens.

“I am afraid that I will not know him when he gets out, or that he will not know me,” said Rana Raef al-Farra in Gaza. She said she was just 7 in the year her father’s sentence was handed down to prison 21 years ago.

Seventy released prisoners were sent from Egypt; some might be transferred elsewhere. Algeria, Tunisia, and Turkey all say they are willing to accept them, per Abdullah al-Zaghari, the head of a Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy organization.

What’s next for the ceasefire accord?

Twenty-six hostages are also scheduled to be released within the ceasefire’s first six-week phase, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The following exchange will take place on Saturday.

What will happen after the initial phase is unclear; however, many are hopeful that it will end the war that caused the displacement of the most significant portion of the population of Gaza and put thousands of people at risk of suffering from famine.

The October. 7. A cross-border strike that Hamas led killed more than 1200 civilians and held around 250 more hostage. Over 100 were released during a truce lasting a week in the month following. Israel believes that at least one-third of the 90 prisoners still held trapped in Gaza are dead.

The war between Israel and the Palestinians has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the area who are unable to specify how many of them were militants. Still, they say children and women make up more than half of the dead.