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Hamas releases four Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners

This is the second exchange since a ceasefire began last weekend, pausing the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks
A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted in Ramallah after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, 25 January 2025 (Reuters)
By Ahmed Aziz in Gaza, occupied Palestine and Lubna Masarwa in Jerusalem

Hamas released four Israeli female soldiers to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday, while Israel followed by releasing 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire deal.

Three buses carrying 114 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah, where crowds of Palestinians lined the streets to welcome. As prisoners alighted from the bus, many were carried over shoulders as people erupted in joy. 

The Palestinian Prisoners Club said that among those released were Mohammed al-Tous, 69, who has spent the longest continuous period in Israeli detention, and Mohammad Arda, one of the six prisoners who briefly escaped from the high-security Gilboa prison in 2021.

“We leave our jail but the price is high for our freedom. I’m thinking about the families of the inmates we lost during the past year and a half,” Adra told reporters.

Meanwhile, 16 prisoners have been transferred to the Gaza Strip, while 70 others - including Palestinians serving life sentences and long-term prison terms - have been released into Egypt, according to state-run Al Qahera News.

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According to the terms of the agreement, Israel is expected to free 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli female soldier released.

The four soldiers - Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag - were stationed at an observation post on the outskirts of Gaza and were captured by Hamas fighters when they overran the base during the attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. They were among around 250 captives seized that day.

The Gaza European Hospital in southern Khan Younis has made preparations to receive the prisoners expected to be released into the enclave, according to Middle East Eye's correspondent reporting from the hospital.

“A dedicated medical team was assigned to care for the released prisoners, and we have also set up a space to accommodate those who are unable to reunite with their families,” Mustafa Bakri, the deputy managing director for the European hospital, told MEE.

'This is my wedding'

The hospital is located near the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, where Palestinian prisoners are set to be transferred into Gaza.

Gaza ceasefire: Displaced Palestinians return to devastated homes
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Nearby, many Palestinians gathered to welcome their released loved ones.

A young Palestinian woman - dressed in a traditional white and red Palestinian gown, holding a bouquet of roses - stood near the Netzarim Corridor, waiting to reunite with her husband, who had been detained a decade ago when they were newly-weds.

“This is my wedding. When they arrested him, I was still a bride. We had been married for 10 months. He was a 29-year-old groom, and I’ve waited for him for 10 years and six months,” she told MEE.

“We have not been in contact for a very long time, and Israeli authorities repeatedly denied visitation requests. I have endured so much, but I never lost hope that he would be freed one day.” 

Abdel-Rahman Taha Baalousha, now aged 40, was detained in Khan Younis during Israel’s war on Gaza in 2014.

Walid al-Najjar, 15, stood holding a picture of his father, who has been in prison for 14 years. Najjar never saw his father during that time and was only able to contact him on three occasions.

“It used to deeply sadden me when I saw all my friends with their fathers,” he said.

Palestinians not allowed in the north

Saturday's scheduled exchange will mark the second swap since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January. During the first exchange, Hamas released three Israeli female civilians in return for 90 Palestinian prisoners.

The four Israeli captives were reunited with their families at an Israeli military base near the Gaza border, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a video.

Israel said a female Israeli civilian, Arbel Yehud, should have also been freed on Saturday. However, Hamas informed mediators that she was alive and will be released next week, a Hamas official told Al Jazeera.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinians in Gaza will not be allowed to cross back to the northern part of the territory until the issue is resolved.

Israel's 15-month onslaught on Gaza has displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from northern Gaza. As part of the agreement, the Israeli military was expected to withdraw on Sunday from the northern section of the Netzarim Corridor, which cuts through central Gaza, allowing Palestinians to return home to the north. 

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