The Palestinian movement Hamas handed over four Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday as part of a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Hamas expects Israel to release about 200 Palestinian prisoners, writes TASR according to world agencies.
The names of the released women were published by the armed wing of Hamas already on Friday. They are soldiers Karina Arievová, Daniella Gilbová, Naama Leviová and Liri Albagová.
The released hostages should first be taken for a medical examination to a facility near the border. Only then will they be able to reunite with their families, Israeli officials said.
Israel should release approximately 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as part of the exchange. Among them should be about 120 who are serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis. They will probably be released to Gaza or sent abroad through Egypt, AP writes. However, Israel still insists that it will not release from its prisons any of the militants involved in the unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023.
Israel begins to leave the Gaza Strip
This is the second such exchange since the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel entered into force in the Gaza Strip last Sunday. In the first, three Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. According to the BBC, Israeli troops should also withdraw from key positions in the Gaza Strip, allowing displaced Palestinians to begin returning to the north.
The aforementioned four female soldiers were captured by Hamas militants during an attack on the Nachal Oz military base on the border with Gaza.
The cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas movement has been in effect since Sunday at 11:15 a.m. local time (10:15 a.m. CET). It should consist of a total of three phases, while the first, which should last 42 days, should see the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for roughly 1,900 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, as well as the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza towards the border. Subsequently, a new round of negotiations should begin, the result of which should be a permanent ceasefire.
There are still more than 80 hostages in the Gaza Strip who were captured by Hamas militants during an attack on October 7, 2023. According to Israel, 57 of them are still alive, while the rest are believed to be dead.
