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Hamas Releases Four Israeli Hostages in Gaza
· Confirmed
In Short: Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held captive for 15 months in Gaza, as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held captive for 15 months in Gaza, as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
The hostages, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, were captured during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
In return for the release of the four soldiers, Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners.
The exchange took place Sunday, marking the second such deal since a ceasefire agreement was reached last weekend.
The ceasefire halted the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks, during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed.
The protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have shifted focus from Hostages Square to anti-government demonstrations, with protesters demanding the government's resignation.
Eli Albag, whose daughter Liri is one of the released hostages, told the Hostages Square crowd, 'This is the last Shabbat that we will be here.'
Moshe Radman, a leader of the Jerusalem protest, said, 'First of all we want elections because we think this government is not representing the public and second of all we think it is not a good time to take a recess when the hostages are still there.'
What this adds
The protests have intensified calls for the Netanyahu government to step down and for Israel to reach a deal to free the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel says it will not allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza until Arbel Yehoud, one of the dozens of hostages held by Hamas, is released.
Background
Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held captive for 15 months in Gaza, as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
What's confirmed
- Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held captive for 15 months in Gaza, as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
- The hostages, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, were captured during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
- In return for the release of the four soldiers, Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners.
- The exchange took place Sunday, marking the second such deal since a ceasefire agreement was reached last weekend.
- The ceasefire halted the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks, during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed.
- The protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have shifted focus from Hostages Square to anti-government demonstrations, with protesters demanding the government's resignation.
What's still developing
- Go Ad Lite Home world middle east Israelis marks 3 years of October 7 attack that triggered assault on Gaza During the attack in Israel, Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza, marking the deadliest day in Israel's history.
- And in a dramatic turn in Tel Aviv, the main organization lobbying on behalf of the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza said it would cease its Saturday night rallies in what has come to be known as Hostages Square and instead join in anti-government protests that have taken place in a different location several blocks away.
- “I fiercely condemn the provocateur organization ‘Brothers in Arms’ that occupies itself time and again with fanning the flames of civil war and dividing Israeli society,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
- “We won’t meet here anymore, we will be in the streets… this is the moment where we turn off the lights.” The Jerusalem demonstration on Sunday night kicked off a four-day vigil by the protesters in front of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and came following an antigovernment protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday night that likewise drew thousands.
- But recently, some of the same groups have been organizing growing weekly demonstrations against Netanyahu and calling — often with family members of the hostages — for the government to do more to secure a deal for their release.
- By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org The protests took aim at the Knesset’s decision to begin a six-week recess while Israelis are still held hostage in Gaza.
- Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
- RELATED STORY | Israel-Hamas agree to ceasefire deal to pause war in Gaza and return hostages In return for the four soldiers, Israel should free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks.