Four female Israeli soldiers were released by Hamas today. They were put in military uniform and had to stand on a podium and wave. They were handed over to members of the Red Cross and the vehicle has now left Gaza along with the hostages.
Hamas had announced on Friday that it would release the four Israeli female soldiers who had been held hostage since October 7, 2023. This is the second exchange in the context of the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza.
All four were captured from the Nahal Oz military base, about a kilometer from the Gaza border.
Under the plan, Israel would have to free a group of Palestinian prisoners after the release of the four Israeli female soldiers, although the exact number was not specified by either side.
This fragile agreement will lay the foundation for a permanent end to the war in Gaza.
After the ceasefire announcement, many displaced Gazans tried to return home after more than a year of incessant war, but found only rubble where the houses once stood.
“Even if we think about returning, there is no place where we can pitch our tents because of the destruction,” Theqra Qasem, a displaced woman, told AFP.
The ceasefire announcement became a reality thanks to the efforts of three countries: Qatar, Egypt and the United States, after months of negotiations. However, Donald Trump claimed full credit for the ceasefire deal: “This EPIC ceasefire deal could only have come about as a result of our historic victory in November,” as he posted on his Truth Social account.
Under the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, 33 hostages believed by Israel to be alive must be returned in exchange for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
A more permanent end to the war is expected in the next phase of the war, and the final phase should include the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the bodies of dead hostages.