1 of 5 | Liri Albag, 19, pictured here hugging family members, was released by Hamas on Saturday along with two other female hostages as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and the terrorist group. The women spent 477 days in captivity after being abducted on October 7, 2023. Photo via Israel GPO/UPI | License Photo
Four Israeli hostages released by Hamas Saturday were determined not to let themselves be humiliated during the transfer, they said.
The four abducted women, IDF surveillance soldiers Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19, smiled and waved confidently to crowds of Hamas gunmen and Gazans from a stage in a square in Gaza City during the handover, and reported during initial conversations with the media after their release that they were “unfazed” during the event. Advertisement
The four hostages released Saturday have told their families and friends that they determinedly showed Hamas, during the staged event the terror group had arranged for their handover, that they would not be humiliated, according to reports of their initial conversations, The Times of Israel reported.
The four young women walked to the stage set up in a square in Gaza City calmly and confidently, and smiled and waved to the crowds of Hamas gunmen and Gazans.
The soldiers were wearing military style uniforms given to them by Hamas, and walked across the stage with armed soldiers.
“We showed them on the stage that we were not fazed,” Kan TV news quoted one of them as telling family and friends,” according to The Times of Israel. “It had no impact on us. We are stronger than them.” Advertisement
Media reports said Hamas allegedly altered the photos of the women taken at the release so that they appeared healthier. Some other reports said the women were starved during their captivity.
Israeli leaders had expressed concern that Hamas would turn the handover in a propaganda event, and watched from Israel via a video stream. Instead, they said, the women “turned humiliation into victory.”
The four women were among the Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel. They were held captive for 477 days.
