Summary
Here’s a wrap-up of the day’s key events:
Four female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza were released on Saturday and are back in Israel, while 200 Palestinian prisoners were released from two Israeli jails in the second hostage-prisoner swap to take place under the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed on Saturday that it had completed the second phase of release operations.
All 200 Palestinians have been released from Israeli jails as part of today’s swap, the Israel Prison Service has said. Seventy Palestinian prisoners arrived aboard buses in Egypt on Saturday after being released from Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, state-linked Egyptian media reported. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the prisoners were those “deported” by Israel, and said they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment.
The US said it will continue working towards “the release of all remaining hostages” currently held captive by Hamas in Gaza. In a statement on Saturday after the release of the four Israeli soldiers, the White House said: “The United States will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region.”
The ICRC said that it had conducted pre-departure interviews with 200 Palestinians held in Israeli detention centres to assess their health and confirm their identities. It transferred a total of 128 of these detainees to Gaza and the West Bank while local authorities handled the release and transfers for the remainder, the statement said.
The Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure. A ceasefire that ended last year’s war between Hezbollah and Israel stipulated that Israeli forces should withdraw as the Iran-backed group’s weapons and fighters are removed from the south and the Lebanese army deploys. The deal, brokered by Washington and Paris, set a 60-day period which ends on Sunday.
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Here is video of Palestinians in Ramallah welcoming their fellow freed Palestinians from Israeli prisons on Saturday as part of the ceasefire deal:
Here is more from the scenes in Ramallah where the Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson and Osayfa Taha report on Palestinians celebrating the release of those freed this Saturday as part of the ceasefire deal:
In a sports hall on the outskirts of Ramallah, three skinny men in grey prison sweatsuits and plastic sandals embraced their beaming friends before being lifted on to their shoulders and carried out into the waiting crowds.
Outside, the friends and families of those released gathered in anticipation, some waving flags from Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a smaller leftwing faction, others handing out baklava. One man with a shaved head, wispy beard and sunken eyes was carried on the shoulders of the crowd chanting “long live the resistance”.
“I can’t even find the words to say what I feel right now,” said Ahmed Khudjury from Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, as he waited for his family to arrive to collect him.
“I only managed to feel some joy when I saw the happiness of the other prisoners being released,” he said.
For the full story, click here:
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Over in Ramallah, families are rejoicing over the release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons as part of the ceasefire deal.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, one Palestinian man, Azzam al-Shallalta, who was released from prison, said:
My situation was heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking. We pray to God to free all our brothers we’ve left behind … I can’t describe the feeling – just hearing the news that I would be released was overwhelming.
Hundreds of Palestinians cheered around al-Shallalta as he and other detainees arrived in Ramallah on buses, Agence France-Presse reports.
Tareq Yahya, 31, who was also released from prison said:
It’s amazing how much love our people have shown us, how they’ve stood by us and expressed their solidarity.
According to Agence France-Presse, 121 of the Palestinians released from prison had been serving life sentences.
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In a new statement on Saturday, Benjamin Netanyahu said that the release of the four soldiers who had been held captive by Hamas was a “very happy moment”.
“This is a very happy moment that we have been waiting for a long time,” Netanyahu told the parents of Liri Albag, one of the soldiers who had been held captive, Agence France-Presse reports.
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The US said it will continue working towards “the release of all remaining hostages” currently held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement on Saturday after the release of four Israeli soldiers who were held captive in the strip, the White House said:
The United States will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region.
The White House made no mention of Palestinians or Palestine’s calls for self-determination.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 46,700 Palestinians in the past 15 months, leaving an additional 2 million survivors internally displaced across the strip.
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Bombs buried in Gaza’s rubble as a result of Israel’s deadly onslaught on the strip are putting at risk thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians who are trying to return home, according to experts.
The Guardian’s Malak A Tantesh and Jason Burke report:
Tens of thousands of people will risk death or injury this weekend from shells and bombs buried in rubble when they try to reach their ruined homes in areas of Gaza that have been inaccessible throughout much of the 15-month war, explosive disposal experts and aid officials have warned.
To comply with the ceasefire deal that came into effect last Sunday, Israel must allow movement from southern Gaza to the north – where destruction has been most intensive – through a major checkpoint on the Israeli-held Netzarim corridor.
Speaking from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Amjad Shawa, the director of the Palestinian NGOs Network, said: “There is likely to be massive movement over the next few days and people are also going to be trying to find their loved ones or whoever under the rubble. There are 50m tonnes of debris that contains unknown dangerous items. Unexploded ordnance is a really big issue. We are trying to coordinate efforts to raise awareness. We are telling children especially, tell authorities if they find anything and stay away from it.”
For the full story, click here:
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Summary of the day so far
It is coming up to 6pm in Gaza City and Tel Aviv. Here is a summary of today’s key developments:
Four female Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza were released on Saturday and are back in Israel, while 200 Palestinian prisoners were released from two Israeli jails in the second hostage-prisoner swap to take place under the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed on Saturday that it had completed the second phase of release operations.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released photographs of the four female Israeli soldiers – Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag – being reunited with family. In a statement, the IDF said the four were accompanied by army medics and would undergo “an initial medical assessment”.
The ICRC said that it conducted pre-departure interviews with 200 Palestinians held in Israeli detention centres to assess their health and confirm their identities. It transferred a total of 128 of these detainees to Gaza and the West Bank while local authorities handled the release and transfers for the remainder, the statement said.
Crowds of Palestinians erupted in joy as prisoners freed from Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and Ktziot prison in the Negev desert reached Ramallah. While in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, large crowds followed the news of the release of four female Israeli soldiers via a live stream on big screens.
Seventy Palestinian prisoners arrived aboard buses in Egypt on Saturday after being released from Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, state-linked Egyptian media reported. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the prisoners were those “deported” by Israel, and said they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment. A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters that some of the freed prisoners released into Egypt will stay there, while others may go on to Algeria, Qatar or Turkey.
Freed Israeli soldier, Liri Albag, on Saturday expressed her gratitude to Israelis for their support for the families of captives seized by Hamas. “I love you, all the citizens of the State of Israel, who supported our families and embraced them, and all the IDF (Israeli military) soldiers who did everything for us. Thank you very much, I love you all,” Albag said in released military footage.
Bulgaria on Saturday welcomed with “great relief” the release of Israeli-Bulgarian Daniella Gilboa from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza. Gilboa, 20, was one of four Israeli soldiers freed on Saturday. Gilboa’s father is reportedly of Bulgarian origin.
A female Israeli civilian held hostage in the Gaza Strip will be released next week, Hamas informed mediators, after Israel said she should have been freed on Saturday, a Hamas official told Reuters. The hostage, Arbel Yehud, will be released next Saturday, the official said. Earlier, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel would not allow Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza before the issue of a female civilian hostage it had been expecting to be released on Saturday is resolved.
In addition to the release operations, the ICRC said it is also working with its partners within the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement to bring more aid into Gaza: “This includes food, medical supplies, as well as items to support critical infrastructure like water, wastewater, and power systems.”
Elsewhere, the Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure. French president, Emmanuel Macron, told his new Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, in a phone call that he is in communication to maintain the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, according to a statement by the Lebanese president’s office on X.
About 153 prisoners were released by Yemen’s Houthis on Saturday with support from the ICRC. The identities of the prisoners were not disclosed, but the ICRC said they received regular visits by the organisation in Yemeni capital Sana’a.
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Bulgaria on Saturday welcomed with “great relief” the release of Israeli-Bulgarian Daniella Gilboa from captivity by Hamas militants in Gaza, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Gilboa, 20, was one of four Israeli soldiers freed on Saturday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday under a Gaza ceasefire deal. Gilboa’s father is reportedly of Bulgarian origin.
“It is with great relief and joy that Bulgaria welcomes the release of the Bulgarian national Daniella Gilboa,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “This positive development is the result of intensive diplomatic efforts in which Bulgaria actively participated,” it said.
Former prime minister, Nikolay Denkov, told Nova television earlier on Saturday that Bulgaria had granted citizenship to some hostages – including Gilboa – to help secure their release.
Bulgaria thanked Qatar, Egypt and the US for securing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of the hostages, the foreign ministry said, adding it hoped for the release of the others.
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Freed Israeli soldier, Liri Albag, on Saturday expressed her gratitude to Israelis for their support for the families of captives seized by Hamas in October 2023, in released military footage, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“I love you, all the citizens of the State of Israel, who supported our families and embraced them, and all the IDF (Israeli military) soldiers who did everything for us. Thank you very much, I love you all,” Albag is seen saying in the video after being freed along with three other soldiers earlier on Saturday.
ICRC confirms completion of second phase of release operations in Gaza and Israel
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed the completion of the second phase of release operations in Gaza and Israel, it said in a statement on Saturday.
It said:
This phase began with the safe transfer of four hostages from Gaza to Israeli authorities. Throughout the release process, the ICRC’s primary concern was ensuring the secure transfer of those held hostage. This is a responsibility we take extremely seriously.
The ICRC then facilitated the release and transfer of 128 detainees from Israeli detention centres to Gaza and the West Bank following pre-departure interviews to confirm their identities and assess their health and fitness for travel.
At the same time, ICRC teams carried out pre-departure interviews with detainees before a separate release and transfer organised by authorities. In total, 200 detainees were released today. Our activities during these operations are consistent with ICRC’s standard working procedures in places of detention globally.”
In addition to the release operations, the ICRC said it is also working with its partners within the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement to bring more aid into Gaza: “This includes food, medical supplies, as well as items to support critical infrastructure like water, wastewater, and power systems.”
Elsewhere, the Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure.
A ceasefire that ended last year’s war between Hezbollah and Israel stipulated that Israeli forces should withdraw as the Iran-backed group’s weapons and fighters are removed from the south and the Lebanese army deploys. The deal, brokered by Washington and Paris, set a 60-day period which ends on Sunday.
But Israel said on Friday the terms had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, meaning Israeli troops would stay beyond Sunday, without saying for how long.
Lebanon’s US-backed military on Saturday accused Israel of procrastinating in its withdrawal, reports Reuters.
In a statement on social media platform X, the Israeli military posted a map showing an area of the south containing dozens of villages and reminding residents that until further notice they are forbidden from returning to their homes.
“Anyone who moves south of this line puts themselves in danger,” the statement said. The line stretches from Shebaa, less than 2km (1.5 miles) from the border in the east, to Mansouri in the west – about 10km (6 miles) from the border.
The Israeli military says it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and dismantling its infrastructure in the south.
The White House said on Friday that a short, temporary ceasefire extension was urgently needed. French president, Emmanuel Macron, told his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun that he was making contacts to maintain the ceasefire and complete the implementation of the agreement, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement. Aoun stressed to Macron the need to oblige Israel to implement the deal to preserve stability in the south.
Hezbollah, which suffered major blows in the war, said on Thursday that any delay of Israel’s withdrawal would be an unacceptable breach of the deal and put the onus on the Lebanese state to act. Hezbollah said the Lebanese state would have to deal with such a violation “through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters”.
Israel said its campaign against Hezbollah aimed to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people forced by Hezbollah rocket fire to leave their homes in northern Israel.
The Lebanese army, in a statement issued on Saturday, urged Lebanese residents to wait before heading into the border region, citing the presence of mines and unexploded Israeli ordnance.
The army said it had continued to implement the plan to strengthen its deployment south of the Litani River since the ceasefire came into effect. “Delays occurred in a number of the phases as a result of procrastination in the withdrawal by the Israeli enemy, which complicated the mission of the army’s deployment,” the statement said. The army “maintains its readiness to complete its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws”.
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Saturday’s hostage-prisoner swap was the second to take place under the truce, after an initial release on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire’s first day on 19 January.
The truce calls for Hamas to release 33 women, children, elderly, sick and wounded hostages over a six-week first phase, with Israel freeing 30 Palestinian prisoners for each civilian and 50 for each soldier.
Here are some of the latest images from Israel and Gaza:
Seventy Palestinian prisoners arrived aboard buses in Egypt on Saturday after being released from Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, state-linked Egyptian media reported.
Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the prisoners were those “deported” by Israel, and said they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment.
Away from Gaza and Israel, French president, Emmanuel Macron, told his new Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, in a phone call that he is in communication to maintain the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, according to a statement by the Lebanese president’s office on X.
Aoun asked Macron to oblige Israel to implement the agreement to preserve stability, reports Reuters.
The phone call comes after the Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure under the US-brokered ceasefire that ended last year’s war.
Crowds of Palestinians have erupted in joy as freed prisoners reach Ramallah, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Israel’s Prison Service confirmed on Saturday that it had released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, which earlier saw Hamas militants free four Israeli soldiers.
“After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the Ofer and Ktziot prisons,” the statement said, adding that a total of 200 prisoners had been freed.
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Freed Israeli soldiers reunited with their families
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released some photographs of the female Israeli soldiers freed today that show them being reunited with family.
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All 200 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails
All 200 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli jails as part of today’s swap, the Israel Prison Service has said.
Meanwhile, four female Israeli soldiers freed from captivity in Gaza on Saturday are aboard a military helicopter with their parents and being flown to hospital, the army said in a statement, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev, together with their parents, just boarded an Israeli air force helicopter to make their way to the hospital, where they will be reunited with the rest of their families and receive medical treatment” it said in a statement.
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For the crowds of militants and civilians gathered in a central Gaza square to witness the handover of four Israeli soldiers held captive for 15 months, the atmosphere was one of triumph and jubilation.
Hundreds of people gathered on the piles of rubble in Palestine Square, Gaza City, among flags of Palestinian militant groups, to watch a painstaking hostage handover, while in Tel Aviv crowds of Israelis gathered in suspense.
The four Israeli soldiers – Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag – briefly walked on to a podium in khaki military fatigues, smiling and holding hands, their long hair pulled into neat shiny ponytails. Two raised their hands to give a thumbs up towards the cheering crowds, before the group climbed into cars from the International Committee of the Red Cross to be driven out of Gaza.
In Tel Aviv, the families of Israelis who remain captive in Gaza flocked to a central square alongside their supporters to watch live footage of the handover, some weeping with joy and cheering. A few waved Israeli flags, while others held pictures of female Israeli soldiers and other captives expected to be released. Video released of the soldiers’ families watching the handover at a military base showed them shrieking with joy.
Lines of masked, uniformed fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – groups that hold people taken hostage on 7 October 2023 – flanked the square in central Gaza City, with Palestinian flags strung overhead. A woman threw confetti over the crowds of militants in celebration.
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Buses with released Palestinian detainees leave Israeli prisons - report
Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners freed as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal departed from two Israel prisons on Saturday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists reported.
The buses left Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and Ktziot prison in the Negev desert.
On Saturday, 200 Palestinians held in Israeli jails are to be released in return for four Israeli female soldiers freed earlier on Saturday by Hamas in Gaza.
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Military vehicles have been spotted lining up at the Israeli Ofer prison in the West Bank city of Beitunia, awaiting the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap for four Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza.
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Female civilian hostage will be released next week, Hamas says
A female Israeli civilian held hostage in the Gaza Strip will be released next week, Hamas informed mediators, after Israel said she should have been freed on Saturday, a Hamas official told Reuters.
The hostage, Arbel Yehud, will be released next Saturday, the official said.
The four Israeli female soldiers held captive by Hamas in Gaza were reuinted with their parents inside Israel on Saturday, the military said.
The four “have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel where they are being reuinted with their parents”, the military said in a statement, adding they were accompanied by army medics and would undergo “an initial medical assessment”.
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Israel will not allow Palestinians' return to north until hostage dispute resolved, says Netanyahu
Israel will not allow Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza before the issue of a female civilian hostage it had been expecting to be released on Saturday is resolved, prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said.
Earlier, Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X that Hamas had not abided with the ceasefire agreement with Israel to release Israeli civilians first.
His statement came after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers in return for 200 Palestinian prisoners.
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Hamas fighters handed over four more Israelis held captive to the Red Cross today as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel.
Large crowds gathered in Gaza City to watch as four young Israeli women in military uniform were freed and placed in vehicles to be taken back to Israel.
The four are Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20 and Liri Albag, 19, who all served with the Israel Defense Forces. They were seen flanked by Hamas militants and smiling and waving to the crowds before being ushered into Red Cross vans.
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Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, R Adm Daniel Hagari, thanked international mediators, the US, Qatar and Egypt, for their efforts. “We expect them to make sure Hamas stands in accordance with the agreement.”
He said that IDF troops will continue to be deployed and operate “to do everything to protect the citizens of Israel”. Hagari added:
Our mission is not over until every single hostage comes home.”
IDF says Hamas 'failed to meet its obligations' to first release female civilian hostages
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, R Adm Daniel Hagari, has been speaking on TV about the four female Israeli soldiers released by Hamas today. He said they have crossed the border in to Israel.
“Today … we welcomed home four more Israeli hostages after 477 days in Hamas captivity,” he said. “Today we salute and embrace them and their families as they reunite just now after so long.”
He added:
We cannot and will not forget the 90 hostages, including women, children and elderly men, [that] still remain in brutal conditions in Hamas captivity.
Hamas failed to meet its obligations to first release Israeli female civilian hostages as part of the agreement.”
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Here are some more images coming in on the newswires showing the four female Israeli soldiers that have been handed over by Hamas today, and the reaction in Tel Aviv:
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The Israeli army have said that the four freed Israeli soldiers are to undergo an initial medical assessment upon their return to Israel.
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If you missed it earlier, we shared a post on who the four Israeli female soldiers freed on Saturday are. You can find it here.
Israeli forces confirm receiving the four released female soldiers
Israeli forces have confirmed that they have received the four released female soldiers reports Reuters citing Channel 13.
Earlier, Israeli soldiers were pictured preparing a helipad at the Beilinson Schneider complex in Petah Tikva, Israel, ahead of the arrival of the four released as part of a prisoner-hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. Here is an image, via the newswires:
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Crowds have gathered in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, to follow the news of the release of four female Israeli soldiers held captive by Hamas:
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Another image of the four Israeli soldiers released today by Hamas has been published:
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Hamas hands four Israeli female soldiers over to ICRC in Gaza
Four female Israeli soldiers, clad in military uniform, have entered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles.
The four were led on to a podium in Gaza City amid a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men. They waved and smiled before being led off and entering ICRC vehicles that will transport them to Israeli forces.
Here is an image taken from the live stream.
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At least four International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vans have arrived at Gaza City Square ahead of the handover of four Israeli soldiers, according to video seen by Reuters.
The news agency report that dozens of Hamas fighters are deployed around four cars positioned opposite the ICRC vehicles.
The four Israeli soldiers have been seen exiting the vehicles, adds Reuters.
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Here are some more images coming in on the newswires today:
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Reuters has some more detail on the news that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel on Saturday would be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank
A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters that some of the freed prisoners will be released into Egypt. Some of those will stay in Egypt while others may go on to Algeria, Qatar or Turkey. They are likely to include militants convicted for deadly attacks in Israel that killed dozens of people, reports Reuters.
Hamas said that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel on Saturday would be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank, according to a statement by the group, reports Reuters.
Hamas releases list of 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel
Hamas released the list of 200 Palestinian prisoners set to be released by Israel on Saturday in exchange for four female Israeli soldiers as part of a ceasefire agreement between the group and Israel.
The 200 prisoners include long-serving inmates and others with lengthy sentences.
Hamas has released a list of 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel, according to a breaking news line from Reuters.
More details soon …
Yemen’s Houthis release 153 prisoners with support from ICRC
Away from Gaza and Israel, about 153 prisoners were released by Yemen’s Houthis on Saturday with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to a statement by the ICRC.
The identities of the prisoners were not disclosed, but the ICRC said they received regular visits by the organisation in Yemeni capital Sana’a, reports Reuters.
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Here are a couple of images coming in via the newswires:
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The BBC are reporting that the four female Israeli soldiers could be released within the hour. No time has been given officially, but they are basing this on updates from BBC correspondents in Gaza and Israel.
Its Middle East correspondent, reporting from Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, says that a stage and large screens have been set up there for the crowds gathered to follow the news.
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Red Cross on the way to collect four Israeli soldiers from Hamas
A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza are on the way to collect the four Israeli soldiers from Hamas, an official involved in the operation has told Reuters.
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It is being reported that dozens of Hamas fighters are gathering in Palestine Square in the heart of Gaza City, where the release of Israeli captives may take place.
The release of the four female soldiers is expected at some point this morning. They will be received by the Red Cross in Gaza and then handed over to Israeli forces, who will transport them back to Israel.
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Israel’s military have issued a statement saying that preparations have been completed to receive the four female soldiers from Gaza and provide them medical care and personal support at the initial reception points. They will then be transferred to hospitals and reunited with their families.
The four Israeli soldiers expected to be released today are Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20 and Liri Albag, 19, who all served with the Israel Defense Forces.
🟡The IDF has completed its preparations to receive the hostages returning to Israel from Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 25, 2025
The returning hostages will receive medical care and personal support at established and prepared initial reception points. Afterward, they will be transferred to hospitals and… pic.twitter.com/Q9JoUsY5no
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After the swap, Israel is expected to begin pulling back from the Netzarim corridor – an east-west road dividing Gaza in two – and allowing displaced Palestinians in the south to return to their former homes in the north for the first time since the beginning of the war.
The war has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were militants. They say women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
Palestinians will only be allowed to move north on foot, with vehicular traffic restricted until later in the ceasefire.
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Four Israeli female soldiers are expected to be freed for 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 120 who are serving life sentences. They will probably be released into Gaza or sent abroad.
The four Israeli soldiers due to be exchanged are Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. All were captured in Hamas’ 7 October attack that ignited the war.
They were taken from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there. The female abductees had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border. A fifth female soldier in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, was abducted with them but not included in the list.
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The timing of the planned handover on Saturday still remains unclear. Palestinian sources told AFP the releases could begin before noon in Israel, though neither Hamas nor Israel has issued a statement on expected timings.
Vicky Cohen, the mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP: “The worry and fear that the deal will not be implemented to the end is eating away at all of us.”
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Israel tells UNRWA to end operations in Jerusalem
In a letter sent on Friday to the UN secretary general António Guterres, Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, again accused the agency known as Unrwa of “widespread infiltration” by Hamas militants who carried out the surprise 7 October 2023 attack in southern Israel – which Unrwa denies.
As reported by the Associated Press, Danon said he was following up on legislation passed in late October by Israel’s Knesset banning the Unrwa from operating in the “sovereign territory of Israel” and banning any contact between Israeli authorities and the UN agency. It was to take effect in 90 days.
In light of the legislation, he said: “Unrwa is required to cease its operations in Jerusalem, and evacuate all premises in which it operates in the city, no later than 30 January 2025.”
The Unrwa commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a speech in Oslo last week that its staff there “will be compelled to withdraw under protest” and “local staff will remain and continue to provide emergency assistance and, where possible, education and primary healthcare”.
He said the Unrwa would also “stay and deliver” in Gaza and the West Bank, which are occupied Palestinian territories and were not mentioned in Danon’s letter.
Unrwa has been the main agency procuring and distributing aid in Gaza, where almost the entire population of about 2 million Palestinians relies on the agency for healthcare and education.
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Update on the West Bank
Israel’s military said on Friday that an airstrike targeted alleged militants in a vehicle in the northern West Bank, where Israeli forces have been carrying out a major military operation during the ceasefire in Gaza, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Two Palestinians were killed in the strike, according to the health ministry. The military said the strike was in the town of Qabatiya, roughly 5km (3 miles) south of Jenin. The city has been the main focus of the Israeli operation.
In Jenin on Friday, drones buzzed overhead and the sound of gunfire and explosions rang out as Israeli military bulldozers and armoured vehicles churned through the streets.
Israeli forces have killed at least 14 Palestinians in the northern West Bank in the days since the fragile truce took hold in the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities.
Hamas said two of its members were killed in a gun battle with Israeli forces earlier this week in another town near Jenin. Suspected Jewish settlers have also rampaged through two Palestinian towns.
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A shaky ceasefire deal
In the hours after the release of the names of the female Israeli soldiers to be freed on Saturday, the office of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared to indicate it believed Hamas had breached the fragile ceasefire deal because the names did not include that of the remaining female civilian hostage in Gaza.
Israeli media later reported the Israeli prime minister had consulted his security chiefs and decided to move forward, believing Hamas’s decision to release female soldiers before female civilians to be a violation of the ceasefire agreement but not one serious enough to end the process entirely.
Read the full report here.
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Who are Israeli soldiers being released?
Four Israeli female soldiers are set to be freed on Saturday.
The women were taken in Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack that ignited the war and have had no contact with the outside world since then. The four had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border with Gaza.
Here is what we know about them:
Karina Ariev, 20. On 7 October 2023, Ariev texted her family goodbye as she was being dragged into Gaza: “If I don’t live, take care of Mom and Dad all their lives. Don’t give up. Live.” Her family said she loves to cook, sing, dance and write poetry. A year ago, Hamas released a video clip showing her and Daniella Gilboa, another soldier in her unit, pleading for their release.
Daniella Gilboa, 20. Gilboa’s name was originally Danielle, but after her abduction her parents changed it to Daniella, citing the Jewish belief that changing a name can change someone’s fortune. In videos of her kidnapping, Gilboa appears to be suffering from a foot injury as militants hustle her into a Jeep bound for Gaza. Gilboa has said she dreams of becoming a professional singer.
Naama Levy, 20. Other footage from 7 October shared all over the world shows Levy, a soldier and triathlete, wearing blood-stained grey sweatpants as she is abducted from her base. When she was younger, she participated in the US-based “Hands of Peace” delegation, which brings together Americans, Israelis and Palestinians to work on coexistence.
Liri Albag, 19. Earlier this month, as ceasefire negotiations dragged on, Hamas’s military wing released a video that showed Albag, the youngest of the soldiers slated for release, in what her family said was “severe psychological distress”.
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Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, with a focus on the four female Israeli soldiers held captive in Gaza since 2023 set to be released by Hamas on Saturday.
The exchange is the second swap agreed to under the Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal.
It’s approaching 5am in Jerusalem, and here is what you need to know:
Palestinian militant group Hamas announced on Friday that it would release four female soldiers held captive for 15 months in Gaza, as part of an exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners laid out in its ceasefire agreement with Israel. An advocacy group representing the families of hostages confirmed the identities of the captive Israelis to be released on Saturday.
The four Israeli soldiers are Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. The women were taken in Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack that ignited the war and have had no contact with the outside world since then.
The female soldiers had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border.
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed their expected release saying: “An entire nation has fought for them and anxiously awaits their longed-for return to their families’ embrace.”
Not on the list, however, was Arbel Yehoud, the female civilian hostage being held in Gaza, who Israeli officials earlier this week said they expected to be released this weekend.
Israel believes about a third, or possibly as many as half, of the more than 90 hostages still in Gaza have died. Hamas has not, however, released definitive information on how many captives are still alive or the names of those who have died.
In the first phase of the ceasefire deal, 33 hostages – including women, children, sick people and those over 50 – are expected to be released gradually in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Most of the 33 are civilians, but the deal also commits Hamas to freeing all living female soldiers in phase one, which is expected to last 42 days.
The Hamas prisoners media office said it expected 200 prisoners to be freed on Saturday as part of the deal, including 120 serving life sentences and 80 prisoners with other lengthy sentences.
Saturday’s exchange would be the second since the ceasefire began last Sunday and Hamas released three Israeli civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
The ceasefire agreement, worked out after months of on-off negotiations brokered by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the United States, has halted the fighting for the first time since a truce that lasted just a week in November 2023.
• This post was amended at 12.32 GMT. An earlier version described Arbel Yehoud as the last female hostage in Gaza, which she is not. Shiri Silberman Bibas is also there.
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