Four Israeli soldiers released in Gaza prisoner swap amid Israel-Hamas truce

Four female Israeli soldiers held captive by Palestinian fighters in Gaza were released on Saturday.

Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag were seen smiling and waving to the crowd in Gaza City’s Palestine Square as they carried their belongings.

The soldiers, held by Hamas for 477 days, have crossed into Israel, according to an Israeli army statement. “Today, as part of these ongoing efforts, we’ve welcomed home four more Israeli hostages after 477 days in Hamas captivity,” army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced on national television.

However, Hagari accused Hamas of not adhering to the agreed-upon terms for releasing captives, stating that the group was supposed to first release all female civilian captives. He alleged that many of these women are still believed to be held in Gaza.

The joyous moment was echoed in Tel Aviv’s Square, where a large screen displayed the faces of the freed soldiers. Thousands gathered, waving Israeli flags and holding posters bearing the captives’ images.

This exchange is part of a broader deal, which also includes the concomitant release of 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Among those set to be freed is Mohammed al-Tous, a 69-year-old Fatah member known as the “dean” of Palestinian prisoners. Al-Tous has been in Israeli detention since 1985, charged with organizing anti-Israel operations.

Of the 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released, 70 will be deported to countries like Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, and Turkiye, barring their return to the West Bank or Gaza.

Red Cross crews have reportedly arrived at Ofer Prison near Ramallah to facilitate the release process, as confirmed by Palestinian sources.

Following the prisoner exchange, Israeli forces were expected to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor, a move seen as critical to allowing thousands of Palestinians to return to their homes in the devastated northern enclave.

However, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that Palestinian civilians will not be permitted to return to northern Gaza, as previously agreed, until the issue of releasing female captive, Arbel Yehud, who was expected to be freed today, is resolved.

According to Al Jazeera, a Hamas source has told them that the group has informed the mediators that Arbel Yehud is alive and will be released next Saturday.

This prisoner exchange, while bringing moments of relief and hope, underscores the fragile nature of the deal.