Middle East: Israel and Hamas exchange hostages and prisoners again

Israel and the Islamist Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners for the second time as part of the Gaza agreement. Four female soldiers were released after a good 15 months from Hamas violence in the Gaza Strip; they were handed over to the Israeli army by the International Committee of the Red Cross – where they were given an emotional reception. In return, Israel released about 200 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.

Dozens more hostages in Gaza

The release comes as part of a six-week ceasefire agreement that came into force last Sunday. Almost a week ago, Hamas released three abducted civilians. The soldiers now released are the second group of hostages to be released. 90 people abducted from Israel are still being held in the Gaza Strip, of which, according to Israeli information, more than 30 have been declared dead.

Gunmen handed over hostages to Red Cross representatives

Before the four women, aged 19 and 20, got into Red Cross vehicles, they were led onto a stage. There they waved with smiles – whether of their own free will or under threat was unclear. After a few minutes the convoy left the square.

Shortly after being handed over to the Red Cross, the women, aged 19 to 20, were brought home by Israeli soldiers. Just across the border there was an emotional reunion with the parents; other relatives were waiting in a hospital in central Israel to which the former hostages were flown in a military helicopter. Israel’s President Izchak Herzog wrote on X: “Daniella, Liri, Naama and Karina – you are heroines! Welcome back home!” he wrote on

Freed hostages were army scouts

Those released are Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Daniella Gilboa. They were kidnapped from the Nahal Oz army base to the Gaza Strip during the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7, 2023. The young women were part of the team of scouts whose job it was to observe events at the border.

What caused irritation, however, was the fact that a civilian, whom the Israeli government had expected to be released this Saturday, was not among the hostages handed over. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Gaza residents would not be allowed to return to the north of the region until the woman was released. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of violating agreements on the release of hostages. According to this, the release of female civilians should take priority over female soldiers.

In the coming weeks, the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, another 26 hostages are to be released. According to the ynet news site, eight of them are believed to no longer be alive.

Emotional reunions with loved ones

“After 477 long days of nerve-racking waiting, we were finally able to see Liri, hug her and know that she is with us – safe and surrounded by the love of her family,” the 19-year-old’s family said in a statement. “Liri showed superhuman strength and went through hell.”

The families of the other three women also released statements expressing their joy and relief, but at the same time recalling the fate of the remaining hostages.

200 prisoners released from Israeli prisons

The Gaza agreement requires Israel to release 50 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons for every soldier, including 30 people serving life sentences. The prison authority reported in the afternoon that 200 prisoners had been released in accordance with the agreement. About 130 arrived in the West Bank in the afternoon. At the same time, around 70 Palestinians were brought to Egypt. While 107 ex-prisoners remain in the West Bank, others go to East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, Israel and Jordan.

“We lived in hell”

When Red Cross buses arrived in Ramallah in the West Bank, a large crowd gathered. Some of the ex-prisoners appeared in disbelief as they left the buses, while others expressed relief at their release. The 30-year-old Mahmud Bisharat, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for a knife attack, told the German Press Agency: “We lived in hell. We were like dead people living in graves. But thank God we are out.” The past 15 months have been “like 20 years”.

The Al-Jazeera television channel showed scenes of celebration from Ramallah. Several of the released prisoners were carried through the crowd on the shoulders of the revelers.

70 prisoners arrived in Egypt

From Egypt, the state-affiliated TV channel Al-Kahira News showed images of two buses carrying released Palestinians arriving at the Rafah border crossing. From there they should be taken to Cairo. It was said that several countries had agreed to take them in. According to Arab media reports, they could be transferred to Qatar, Jordan or Turkey. Some could also go to Europe, it was said.