On Saturday, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross as part of a planned exchange involving 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. This exchange is part of a fragile ceasefire agreement that ended a 15-month-long conflict in Gaza, described as genocidal.
The four soldiers—Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag—were released in Gaza City’s Palestine Square, where they were handed over to the Red Cross. Each soldier carried a bag, apparently containing souvenirs from Gaza, similar to the items Hamas gave to other hostages released earlier.
In exchange for the soldiers, Israel is set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners, including some serving life sentences. The first exchange, which occurred on Sunday, involved the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian captives, primarily women.
This marks the second prisoner swap since the ceasefire began last weekend, temporarily halting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza for at least six weeks. During this period, dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are expected to be freed, and humanitarian aid will be permitted into the famine-stricken territory.
