Hamas to release 4 Israeli soldiers in prisoner swap

Hamas to release 4 Israeli soldiers in prisoner swap
Hamas to release 4 Israeli soldiers in prisoner swap

The Palestinian Hamas is expected to release four female Israeli soldiers in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.

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

The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected 200 prisoners to be freed as part of the exchange, including 120 serving life sentences and 80 prisoners with other lengthy sentences.

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

This exchange would be the second since the ceasefire and Hamas handed over three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. Live video showed armed Hamas men arriving at a Gaza City square ahead of the release.

Hamas identified the four hostages to be released in the second swap. But Israel 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 forces who will transport them into Israel, where they will be reunited with family, undergo initial medical treatment and taken to hospital. Another female soldier abducted with them is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

In the first six-week phase of the deal, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages, including children, women, older men and the sick and injured, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, while Israeli troops pull back from some of their positions in the Gaza Strip.

In a subsequent phase, the two sides would negotiate the exchange of the remaining hostages, including men of military age, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, which lies largely in ruins after 15 months of fighting and Israeli bombardment.