Hamas Releases Four Israeli Women Hostages in Truce Deal Amid Gaza Conflict

Hamas handed over four Israeli women hostages to the Red Cross as part of a truce agreement in the ongoing Gaza war. The deal also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel.

An AFP journalist reported witnessing the handover, which took place at a main square in Gaza City. The four women were presented on stage, surrounded by dozens of masked Hamas fighters who had gathered earlier for the occasion.

The scene was marked by the presence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. They stood in organized rows, waving group banners and wearing green headbands, as a large crowd of Gaza residents watched. Red Cross vehicles arrived to facilitate the transfer of the hostages.

Israeli officials confirmed on Friday that they had received the names of the hostages. The four women—Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, all aged 20, along with Liri Albag, 19—had been held captive for over 15 months since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Palestinian sources revealed that in exchange for the hostages, Israel is set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners. The truce deal also allows Palestinians displaced by the war to begin returning from southern Gaza to the north, according to Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau based in Qatar.

The temporary ceasefire has facilitated a significant influx of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other humanitarian aid into Gaza, which remains heavily damaged by the conflict. However, Israel’s UN ambassador stated on Friday that the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the primary aid provider in Gaza, must cease all operations in Israel by Thursday.