Hamas Frees Four Israeli Hostages to Red Cross in Gaza

AFP/APP

Gaza: Hamas militants on Saturday handed over four Israeli women hostages to the Red Cross under a truce deal in the Gaza war, which is also expected to lead to the release of a second group of Palestinian prisoners.

An AFP journalist witnessed the handover after the four women were presented on a stage at a main square in Gaza City, where dozens of masked and armed militants had gathered earlier. Four Red Cross vehicles arrived ahead of the handover.

Fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, gathered in rows, displaying their groups’ banners and wearing green headbands, as crowds of Gaza residents watched the scene unfold.

Israel confirmed Friday that it had received the list of hostages’ names. On Saturday, Palestinian sources revealed that Israel is set to free 200 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages.

According to the Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the women released are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy—all aged 20—and Liri Albag, 19. The four women had been held captive for over 15 months, following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Palestinians displaced by the war to southern Gaza may begin returning to the north after Saturday’s releases, said Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau based in Qatar, in a statement to AFP on Friday.

The truce has also enabled a significant influx of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other aid into the rubble-strewn Gaza Strip. However, Israel’s UN ambassador confirmed on Friday that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Gaza’s primary aid organization, must cease operations in Israel by Thursday.

The hostage-prisoner exchange is part of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect last Sunday. The agreement aims to pave the way for a permanent end to the war. Mediators Qatar and the United States facilitated the deal, which was announced days before US President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Trump has since claimed credit for securing the agreement after months of stalled negotiations.

Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, stated on Telegram on Friday that “as part of the prisoners’ exchange deal, the Qassam Brigades decided to release four women soldiers tomorrow.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed receiving the names of the hostages through mediators.