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Sunday, February 16, 2025

Hamas to Free 4 Female Israeli Soldiers

Gaza (TDI): Hamas is expected to release four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.

The four soldiers — Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag — were all deployed at an observation post on the edge of Gaza and abducted by Hamas fighters who seized their base during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected 200 captives to be freed on Saturday as part of the exchange, including 120 serving life sentences and eighty prisoners with other lengthy sentences.

Their identities have not yet been disclosed but they are likely to include members convicted for deadly attacks that killed dozens of people.

Saturday’s exchange would be the second since the ceasefire began on Sunday and Hamas handed over 3 Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian captives.

Live video showed armed Hamas fighters arriving at a Gaza City square ahead of the release.

Also Read: Hamas-Israel Reach Truce Deal to End Gaza War: Report

Hamas identified on Friday the 4 hostages to be released in the second swap.

But Tel Aviv has not commented officially and may not do so until it actually receives them.

The Red Cross will receive them from Hamas in Gaza and hand them over to Israeli troops who will transport them into Israel, where they will be reunited with family, undergo initial medical treatment and shifted to hospital.

Another female soldier abducted with them is likely to be released in the coming weeks.

Phased Ceasefire

The ceasefire deal, worked out after months of on-off talks brokered by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the US, has halted the fighting for the first time since a truce that lasted just a week in November 2023.

In the first 6-week phase of the agreement, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages, including children, women, older men and the sick and wounded, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian captives in Israeli prisons, while Israeli forces pull back from some of their positions in the Gaza Strip.

Also Read: Hamas Approves Gaza Truce Deal: Reports

In a subsequent phase, the two sides would discuss the exchange of the remaining hostages, including men of military age, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, which lies largely in ruins after fifteen months of war and Israeli bombardment.

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