Hamas handed four female Israeli soldier hostages over to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Saturday (January 25).
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 and entering ICRC vehicles that will transport them to Israeli forces.
The four soldiers - Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and 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.
They are being released in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza. Hamas said 200 prisoners will be freed by Israel on Saturday as part of the exchange. They are expected to include members of Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), some serving life sentences.
Saturday's planned exchange will be the second since a ceasefire began last Sunday (January 19) when Hamas handed over three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Before the hostages were handed over, members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were seen signing a document to facilitate the hostage release.
(Production: Thomas Holdstock)