1 of 5 | Hamas fighters escort four Israeli soldiers prisoners on a stage before handing them over to a team from the Red Cross in Gaza City on ٍSaturday. Photo by Ayman Alhesi/UPI. | License Photo
Hamas released four hostages and Israel 200 Palestinian prisoners as the latest cease-fire exchange occurred on Saturday.
The Red Cross received the four former hostages, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag in Gaza City, and turned them over to Israel on Saturday. Advertisement
The four women are between 19 and 20, and were taken to Israel for medical care.
All four hostages were captured during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Israel accused Hamas of violating the cease-fire terms by not releasing Arbel Yehud, a female hostage, the BBC reported.
“Israel has received four female hostage soldiers from the Hamas terrorist group today, and in return will release security prisoners,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prepared statement.
“According to the agreement, Israel will not permit the passage of Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be freed today,” Netanyahu said.
A Hamas official said she is alive and will be released next Saturday, but she is being held by the Islamic Jihad group and not Hamas, the Times of Israel reported. Advertisement
Yehud, 29, and her boyfriend were at their home when Hamas captured them during the Oct. 7 attack of Israeli civilians.
Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners, 70 of whom immediately were sent to Egypt for deportation to neighboring nations due to the nature of their criminal offenses.
Other prisoners will be transferred to Gaza or allowed to return to their homes in the East Jerusalem the West Bank.
Of the 200 prisoners Israel released, 121 were serving life sentences and 79 long-term sentences for the crimes of which they were tried and convicted.
Among them, 114 were released near Ramallah in the West Bank and another 16 in the Gaza Strip.
Another 70 were released at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza and are to be deported from the Palestinian territories as required by the cease-fire agreement.
A large crowd in Tel Aviv, Israel, cheerfully watched live footage of Hamas releasing the four hostages.
Similarly large crowds in Gaza celebrated the release of the 200 prisoners from Israeli prisons.
