The Palestinian armed group "Hamas" has handed over four female hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Reuters reported, with the broadcast broadcast live on television.
The four women were brought to a podium in Gaza City among a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men. They waved and smiled before being led out and into ICRC vehicles that will transport them to Israeli forces.
The four hostages were released in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month war in the Gaza Strip.
The four soldiers - Karina Arieff, Daniela Gilboa, Naamah Levi and Liri Albagh - were stationed at an observation post near the Gaza border when they were kidnapped by Hamas militants who overran their base during an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
One of them was detained by the Palestinian armed group Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian source.
"Hamas" said 200 prisoners would be released today in the swap. They are expected to include members of "Islamic Jihad", "Hamas" and "Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine", some of whom are serving life sentences.
The Israeli army confirmed that it had received the four freed hostages, who are already in Israel.