Tel AVIV, Israel — Four female Israeli soldiers who were captured in an attack that sparked the war in Gaza returned to Israel on Saturday after Hamas soldiers rounded them up in front of a crowd of thousands in Gaza City and handed them over to the Red Cross. Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners in the second round of a fragile ceasefire.
Four Israelis smiled, waved and gave thumbs up on stage in Palestine Square, flanked by armed, masked soldiers as Hamas sought to show it was still in control of Gaza after 15 months of war. Abductors may be working under duress. Those previously freed said they were held in brutal conditions and forced to film propaganda videos.
Israel’s prison service later said it had released 200 Palestinians, including 121 serving life sentences after being convicted of murdering Israelis, while others were held without charge.
Thousands of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah celebrated their arrival. Some of those released were wearing Hamas headbands given to them by the crowd. Looking shameless and wearing gray prison suits, some were riding on the shoulders of fans.
Read more: Gaza Cease-Fire Is Here. Why Did It Take So Long?
In the first major problem of this agreement, Israel said that it will not allow the expelled Palestinians to start returning to northern Gaza as expected on Sunday, because the prisoner who was supposed to be released, Arbel Yehoud, has not been released.
As the mediators spoke, hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the Netzarim corridor – the east-west road that divides Gaza – waiting to go north.
“Why are you treating us like this?” asked another man, Khalil Abd.
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man near the Netzarim corridor, Palestinian health officials said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Israel insists on the release of former prisoner Arbel Yehoud
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel would not allow Palestinians to begin returning to northern Gaza until Yehoud, a citizen taken from Hamas’s 7 Oct. 2023, the attack that caused the war, is released.
Hamas said it blamed Israel for “any delay in implementing the agreement and its consequences.”
A senior Hamas official said the group informed mediators that Yehoud would be released next week. An Egyptian official who participated in the talks called the issue “a minor issue” that negotiators are working to resolve.” Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The US National Security Council continues to press for Yehoud’s release, the spokesman said.
The ceasefire began last weekend and is aimed at ending the deadliest and most destructive war ever between Israel and Hamas. The deal halted airstrikes and rocket attacks and allowed an increase in aid to the devastated Gaza.
When the ceasefire began on Sunday, three hostages were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children.
Who are the freed soldiers and prisoners?
Four Israeli soldiers, Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were taken from the Nahal Oz camp near the Gaza border when Palestinian terrorists attacked it, killing more than 60 soldiers there.
The four cried and rushed to hug their loved ones. When they arrived by helicopter near a Tel Aviv hospital, which described them as stable, thousands of people danced and celebrated.
“I was watching them,” said Aviv Bercovich in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. “I want the war to end.”
A fifth female soldier in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, was also captured. “Now he’s alone there,” said Yoni Collins, a family friend.
A resident of Gaza City, Radwan Abu Rawiya, also watched the transfer. “This is big,” he said. “People have forgotten about the war, the destruction and are celebrating.”
Read more: What the Hostage Deal Means for Netanyahu’s Future
A video later released by Hamas’ armed wing showed the hostages thanking the soldiers in Arabic for “good treatment,” possibly under duress.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari condemned what he called Hamas’ “disrespectful” display. He also said that Israel is concerned about the two youngest hostages – Kfir and Ariel Bibas – and their mother, Shiri. Kfir Bibas celebrated his second birthday in prison this month.
Among the 200 Palestinian prisoners released are Mohammad Odeh, 52, and Wael Qassim, 54, who are accused of carrying out deadly Hamas attacks against Israelis, including the 2002 bombing of a cafeteria at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that killed nine people. , including five Americans. citizens.
“I’m afraid that I won’t recognize him when he comes out, or I won’t know him,” said Rana Raef al-Farra in Gaza, who said he was 7 years old when his father was sentenced 21 years ago.
70 of the freed prisoners were deported from Egypt and others may go elsewhere, while Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey have all expressed willingness to take them in, according to Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of a group representing Palestinian prisoners.
What’s next for the ceasefire agreement
Twenty-six other hostages are expected to be released in the first phase of the six-week ceasefire, along with hundreds of other Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange should take place next Saturday.
What happens after the first phase is uncertain, but many hope it will lead to an end to the war that has displaced most of Gaza’s population and left hundreds of thousands at risk of starvation.
An October 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and captured around 250 others. More than 100 were released on a week-long plea deal the following month. Israel believes at least a third of the more than 90 hostages in Gaza have died.
Israel’s air and ground war has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who would not say how many were killed but said more than half of the dead were women and children.
– Debre reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Magdy reported from Cairo. Surafa reported from Deir Al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Joseph Federman in Jerusalem, Sam McNeil in Reim Military Base, Israel, Zeke Miller in Washington and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.