Jerusalem: Four female Israeli soldiers, who were held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 15 months, were released by the Palestinian group, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Captives handed over to Red Cross team
The hostages, identified as Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag were handed over to a Red Cross team in Palestine Square in Gaza City.
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Israel expected to release 200 Palestinians
In exchange for the second release of the captives on Saturday, Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, Al Jazeera reported.
The hostages, who were wearing Israeli military uniforms, waved at the crowd gathered there to see their release.
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IDF issues statement
"The four returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF [Israeli army] special forces and ISA [security agency] forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment," the IDF said in a statement.
