Four female IDF soldiers held hostage by Hamas for 477 days—Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag—were released on Saturday under the second phase of a fragile ceasefire-hostage exchange agreement. The soldiers, abducted from the Nahal Oz base during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault that claimed over 1,400 lives, were handed over to the Red Cross after being paraded in Gaza City in a heavily orchestrated display by Hamas.
Unlike the chaotic scenes during the previous release of hostages last week, Saturday’s handover was tightly stage-managed. Dozens of armed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives formed a cordon around a stage in a central Gaza square, while drones distributed candy to the gathered crowd. The four soldiers arrived in separate vehicles, dressed in olive-green uniforms resembling IDF garb and holding “gift bags” from Hamas.
After being handed over to the Red Cross, the four soldiers were transferred to IDF special forces and escorted across the border to Israel, where they reunited with their families at the Re’im IDF facility. There, they underwent brief medical checks. The IDF announced earlier it had completed its preparations for the hostages’ return, with the Manpower Directorate and Medical Corps coordinating initial reception points.
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One of the seven was later rescued alive, another was found murdered in captivity, and the remaining five have been held ever since, with four now poised for release under the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Agam Berger, 21, was notably absent from Hamas’s list, deepening concern for her safety.
Albag, an aspiring architect from Moshav Yeruhav, was last heard from by her family on the morning of the attack. Her mother, Shira, initially believed her daughter was safe at a hospital and searched for her at Soroka Medical Center, only to later discover a Hamas video on Telegram showing Liri’s abduction. Months into her captivity, Hamas released a propaganda video showing Albag visibly deteriorated and emotionally strained. Gilboa, a musician from Petah Tikva, aspired to a professional career in piano and singing before her abduction. Her family identified her in a Hamas video by her shirt and ponytail.
Ariev, who dreams of becoming a psychologist, was known for her compassion and love of dancing and writing. During her final phone call with her parents, she described gunfire and rocket barrages. Hours later, communication was lost, and her family learned of her capture. Images later released showed her with a head injury. Levy, a triathlete and peace activist, was captured in a harrowing scene captured on video: barefoot, bound, and bloodied, she was dragged into the back seat of a truck by her captors.
Hamas’ selection of the four soldiers violates the agreed-upon prioritization of releasing female civilians before military personnel. Nevertheless, Israeli officials have decided the breach is not severe enough to collapse the deal. In exchange for the hostages’ return, Israel is expected to release another group of Palestinian prisoners, including 30 convicted terrorists serving life sentences.
Meanwhile, footage broadcast by Al Jazeera earlier today showed dozens of Hamas operatives and members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad gathering in a square in Gaza City, flanked by a large crowd of onlookers. “Zionism won’t win,” alongside the emblems of several IDF units and the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service. Another banner featured images of Israeli officials and military leaders labeled as “failures.”
Ninety-one hostages from the October 7 attack remain in captivity, alongside two civilians taken in prior incidents and the bodies of at least 34 individuals confirmed dead by the IDF. Hamas also continues to hold the remains of two IDF soldiers killed in 2014.