Four Israeli hostages freed by Hamas in second Gaza swap deal

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip,— The Islamist Arab militant group Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange under a ceasefire agreement aimed at halting a 15-month-long conflict in Gaza. In return, Israel released approximately 200 Gazan prisoners.

The four soldiers — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — were abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, during a Hamas deadly assault on their observation post near Gaza. Hamas militants overwhelmed the base, taking them captive.

In Gaza City, the soldiers were brought to a podium surrounded by armed Hamas fighters and a crowd of Gazans. Smiling and waving briefly, they were handed over to vehicles from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and transferred to Israeli forces.

Their families, watching the live broadcast from a military base near the border, cheered and wept with relief. In Tel Aviv, a crowd gathered at “Hostages Square” celebrated the release as it was shown on a large screen. The soldiers were reunited with their families shortly afterward and were transported to a hospital for medical evaluations, the Israeli Health Ministry reported.

However, celebrations were muted as a civilian hostage, 29-year-old Arbel Yehud, expected to be freed, remained in captivity. Yehud and her boyfriend were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 attack. The Israeli military accused Hamas of breaching the agreement, while Hamas attributed the delay to a technical issue and promised her release next Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that displaced Gazans would not be allowed to return to northern Gaza until the issue was resolved. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans, displaced by the conflict, had hoped to return home starting Sunday. A Gazan official told Reuters that mediators were working to address the situation.

Four female Israeli soldiers, who had been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are released by Hamas Islamist militants as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, January 25, 2025. Photo: Reuters

As part of the agreement, Israel released 200 Arab prisoners, including individuals convicted of fatal attacks. Of these, around 70 are set to be deported, according to Hamas. Buses carrying the prisoners departed from Ofer military prison in the West Bank following the Israeli hostages’ release.

This exchange marks the second swap since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19. Last week, Hamas released three Israeli female civilians in exchange for 90 Arab prisoners.

The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and Egypt with U.S. backing, has provided a temporary halt to the violence. Over the deal’s six-week initial phase, Hamas is set to release 33 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, in exchange for hundreds of Arab prisoners. Israeli troops are also pulling back from some positions in Gaza.

Subsequent negotiations will address the remaining hostages, including men of military age, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, much of which lies in ruins after months of bombardment.

Following Saturday’s release, 90 hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israeli officials, who estimate a third of them have died in captivity. Families of those not included in the initial phases fear the ceasefire could collapse, leaving their loved ones behind.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza began after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas Islamic State-style attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza, Israeli sources said.

The conflict has resulted in over 40,000 deaths in Gaza, most of them Hamas fighters, according to local health officials. Israel has lost over 400 soldiers in combat, while estimating that more than a third of Gaza’s casualties were militants.

(With files from Reuters)