Four Israeli soldiers swapped for 200 Palestinians; north Gaza shut over hostage still held

Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, marking the second exchange under the ongoing Gaza truce. However, a delay in the release of another hostage led Israel to suspend the return of Gazans to the heavily bombed northern region of the enclave.

The four Israeli soldiers were brought onto a stage in Gaza City, where they were greeted by a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by numerous armed members of Hamas. They waved and smiled before being escorted to Red Cross vehicles for transport to Israeli forces.

Shortly thereafter, buses carrying the released Palestinian prisoners were seen leaving the Israeli Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank, with Israel’s Prison Service confirming the release of all 200 individuals. The exchanges were met with enthusiastic crowds, including Israelis in Tel Aviv and Palestinians in Ramallah.

However, the failure of Hamas to release another hostage, a female Israeli civilian, prompted Israel to announce the suspension of plans to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, the area most severely affected by the conflict. Hamas stated that it would release her next week and described Israel’s decision to halt the reopening of the north as a breach of the truce.

The truce stipulates that Hamas is to release 33 hostages, including women, children, the elderly, and the sick, over a six-week initial phase, while Israel is to free 30 prisoners for each civilian and 50 for each soldier. The four Israeli soldiers released on Saturday—Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag—were all stationed at an observation post on the Gaza border when they were captured by Hamas fighters during the attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing conflict.

Parents erupted in applause and joyful shouts upon seeing their loved ones on screen, as they watched the live handover from a military base situated just across the border. In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis congregated at a location now commonly known as Hostages Square, where they wept, embraced one another, and celebrated as the release was broadcast on a large screen.

The women were reunited with their families before being transported by helicopter to a hospital in central Israel. Footage released by the Israeli military captured the emotional moments as they tightly embraced their parents, filled with both smiles and tears.

On Saturday, 200 Palestinians were released, including militants, some of whom were serving life sentences for their roles in attacks that resulted in numerous fatalities, according to a list provided by Hamas. Israel has stated that those convicted of killing Israelis will not be allowed to return home. Approximately 70 individuals will be deported to Egypt, according to Palestinian officials, and from there, they may be sent to another country, potentially Turkey, Qatar, or Algeria. An additional 16 were sent to Gaza, while the remainder were released into the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where jubilant crowds waving Palestinian flags gathered in Ramallah to welcome them.

DISPUTE

The celebration in Israel over Saturday’s release was overshadowed by disappointment when it was revealed that Arbel Yehud, 29, who had been kidnapped alongside her boyfriend from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, was not among those freed.

An Israeli military spokesperson described this as a violation of the truce, while Hamas attributed it to a technical issue. A Hamas official indicated that the group had notified mediators that she was alive and would be released the following Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Palestinians in Gaza would not be permitted to move back to the northern part of the territory until the matter was resolved.

Palestinian officials reported that approximately 650,000 displaced individuals were poised to return to the northern regions starting Sunday under the ceasefire agreement. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene on a road leading north, which was obstructed by Israeli forces who opened fire. Medical personnel indicated that one individual was killed, allegedly by Israeli gunfire, marking one of the few fatalities since the ceasefire commenced. Additionally, two others sustained injuries. Reuters has reached out to the Israeli military for comments regarding the incident.

A large crowd gathered with their belongings along the coastal road, where an Israeli tank was said to be blocking access to the north. Zaki Kashef, 26, who has been sheltering with his family in Deir Al-Balah for over a year, expressed his frustration via a messaging app, stating, “I will not return to the tent. Where are the mediators? Why can’t they compel Israel to adhere to the agreement?”

The ceasefire, established after extensive negotiations facilitated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States, has brought an end to hostilities for the first time in over a year. Following the release of hostages on Saturday, Israeli authorities reported that 90 hostages remain in Gaza, with approximately one-third of them declared dead in absentia.

Twenty-six hostages are still scheduled for release in the initial phase, after which negotiations are anticipated regarding the exchange of the remaining hostages, including those of military age, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Families of hostages set to be released in subsequent phases express concern that the ceasefire may collapse before their loved ones are freed. Some Israelis who oppose the truce argue that Israel must resume military action to prevent Hamas from regaining control in Gaza. Hamas has stated that it will not release all hostages until the conflict is definitively resolved.

Israel initiated its military operations in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7, during which militants killed 1,200 individuals and abducted over 250 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli reports. Since that time, Israel’s military actions have resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by local health authorities. Additionally, over 400 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in combat within Gaza.