Jerusalem/Gaza – On Saturday, Hamas freed four Israeli female soldiers after 477 days of captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Army.
The soldiers crossed into Israeli territory and were reunited with their families following the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. As part of the agreement, 200 Palestinian prisoners were set to be released in exchange for the hostages. The soldiers, accompanied by security forces and the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, were transported across the border and will undergo medical check-ups before reuniting with their loved ones.
Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari expressed that the mission to return all captives will continue, saying, “We welcome four more Israeli hostages… and this mission will not end until all the captives are returned.”
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The freed soldiers – Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy – are all between 19 and 20 years old. They were captured on October 7, 2023, at the Nahal Oz military base, located just one kilometer from the Gaza Strip, where they were serving in compulsory military service as spotters.
A fifth soldier, Agam Berger, remains in captivity, and her status is unknown, with uncertainty surrounding her survival.
The Hostages and Families Forum, which represents Israeli families of the remaining 87 hostages in Gaza, expressed that the return of the four soldiers was “a moment of hope and triumph.” The group also vowed to continue fighting for the return of all hostages and thanked President Trump for his instrumental role in facilitating the agreement.
Fifteen female soldiers died at the Nahal Oz base during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people, and seven others were taken into captivity. Other observers from Nahal Oz include Ori Megidish, rescued by the Israeli Army in October 2023, and Noa Marciano, who died in captivity and whose body was found near Al Shifa Hospital in November 2023.
Sources from the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 121 of the 200 released Palestinian prisoners will be transferred to Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
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