Four female soldiers reunite with families in Israel - as freed Palestinian prisoners carried by huge crowds in West Bank

Four Israeli soldiers held by Hamas have been released and 200 Palestinian prisoners have been freed as part of a ceasefire deal that has brought an end to 15 months of brutal fighting in Gaza.

Hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and 19-year-old Liri Albag, were all serving with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) when they were captured on October 7 2023.

Surrounded by armed Hamas fighters on Saturday morning, the women waved and smiled as they were led on to a podium in Gaza City before being guided to Red Cross vehicles waiting to take them to a border point to be handed to the IDF, and then travelled back to Israel.

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They were freed by Hamas in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 120 who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis.

At the same time as the Israeli hostages arrived at a hospital in Tel Aviv, the Palestinian prisoners were met by huge crowds in the West Bank.

The prisoners, all wearing grey tracksuits, were seen getting off a large white coach before they were mobbed by a jubilant crowd. After initially walking, the prisoners were soon lifted onto the shoulders of those in the crowd to carry them away.

The multi-stage fragile ceasefire deal - mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt - has so far held, winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group.

Its first six-week phase includes the release of 33 out of 94 hostages - women, children, men over 50, the ill and wounded - in return for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The ceasefire also allows for thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their communities.

Among the roughly 250 people taken from Israel during Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack which ignited the conflict, some have died in captivity in Gaza, while others have been released or rescued.

In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square on Saturday, a big screen showed the faces of the women who had been released.

The family of Karina Ariev said: "Our hearts are filled with immense gratitude and joy.

"After 477 tumultuous days of pain, worry, and endless anxiety - we finally got to embrace our beloved Karina, hear her voice, and see her smile that once again fills us with light.

"Our Karina is a symbol of courage, heart, and determination, and we are proud of her beyond words."

"Finally, we've been able to see Liri, embrace her, and know she's with us, safe, surrounded by the love of her family," her loved ones said.

"Liri demonstrated superhuman strength and survived hell, and we are so proud of her steadfast endurance under impossible conditions."

"Our Daniella, Nushi, has survived 477 days in the hell of Gaza and has finally returned to our family's embrace. How we've prayed for this moment," her family said.

"We are overjoyed and moved to see Naama standing strong and returning to us," the family of Naama Levy said.

"We will not rest until the last hostage returns," they added.

The pause in fighting - which started last Sunday and saw three hostages released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners - is also supposed to enable humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged territory.

What happens after the initial stage of the deal is uncertain.

Read more:
Who are the hostages who haven't returned home?

In Gaza, Palestinians have been both celebrating the relief from the bombing and grieving the loss of loved ones and livelihoods.

Two-thirds of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or obliterated.

Thousands of returning displaced Palestinians have found their homes reduced to rubble.

More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Hamas-run authorities in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

(c) Sky News 2025: Four female soldiers reunite with families in Israel - as freed Palestinian prisoners carried by huge crowds in West Bank