They appeared terrified in videos, their faces and clothes stained with blood, showing signs of distress and having their wrists bound. In some clips, they were mocked by their Hamas captors.

Now, Liri Albag (19), Karina Ariev (20), Danielle Gilboa (20), and Naama Levy (20) have returned to Israel, having been released by Hamas on Saturday as part of a deal involving Palestinian prisoners. These four women, all Israeli soldiers, were released during the second hostage and prisoner exchange under a ceasefire aimed at stopping the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has lasted for 15 months.

The release was staged dramatically, with the women being displayed while surrounded by armed men donning Hamas flags and bandanas. They wore military attire and were taken to a stage for photos, where they smiled and waved at an enthusiastic crowd. Israeli medical experts previously concluded that some hostages released in an earlier ceasefire appeared sedated to keep them compliant.

The women had been captured at Israel’s Nahal Oz military base during a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of roughly 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 others to the Palestinian territory. They were part of a military surveillance division predominantly made up of female soldiers aged 18 to 21, whose duty was to monitor for suspicious activity near the Gaza border. Hamas held them for 477 days.

Their homecoming was greeted with loud cheers and tears as crowds gathered in Tel Aviv to witness the event on large screens set up in “Hostage Square,” a public area in front of an art museum. Video released by Israel’s Defense Forces captured the families of the hostages celebrating and weeping as their daughters crossed the border into Israel.

“A wave of relief and joy surrounds us,” stated Albag’s family.

Palestinian Prisoners Set for Release

The ceasefire has temporarily paused a conflict that has led to the deaths of over 47,000 Palestinians according to health officials in Gaza, who are affiliated with Hamas.

Last week, during the first exchange of the truce, three female Israeli hostages were swapped for 90 Palestinian detainees, primarily women and a few minors held on various charges by Israel, which it claims are linked to terrorism. Others among them had not faced any charges. On Saturday, Israel also released 200 more Palestinians from its jails, including some convicted of murder who may be deported to Egypt.

Approximately 10,000 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel on what is referred to as “security grounds.” Many claim that these detentions are often arbitrary and that detainees face restrictions on family and legal access.

The ceasefire agreement consists of three phases. In the first phase, 33 hostages held by Hamas will be released in exchange for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The remaining two phases, which are still under negotiation, aim for the release of all hostages in return for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. Following Saturday’s release, 90 hostages are still held in Gaza, with Israeli estimates suggesting that a third to half of them may be deceased.

Five ‘Spotters’ Kidnapped, Four Are Free

Agam Berger, 21, was taken captive alongside the four Israeli soldiers released on Saturday. She was the only one in the group of surveillance “spotters” who was not released. The Berger family only discovered her fate when Hamas released footage showing her bloody and distressed on October 8, 2023, just the day after the attack. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. She sat on the floor next to Albag, Ariev, Gilboa, and Levy, having just witnessed the murder of 15 of their friends and comrades at the base and a nearby kibbutz.

Technically, capturing soldiers is not a war crime, but mistreating them is. Experts on warfare agree that no reason can justify holding any individual hostage, whether civilian or military.

Hamas launched its assault in the early morning. Berger and some other soldiers in the footage were still in their pajamas. “You’re beautiful,” one of the Hamas fighters remarked to a frightened soldier on the video.

“Every day is difficult. Day 100. Day 150. Day 200. You can’t grasp how time is passing and they’re still not home. We go through many very hard moments,” said Shlomi Berger, Agam’s father, in an interview with YSL News, published when his daughter had been a hostage for a whole year.

The Wait Continues for American Hostages

No American hostages were included in this release.

Hamas currently holds seven Americans, four of whom are believed to have died. The two believed to be alive — Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, from Connecticut, and Keith Siegel, 64, from North Carolina — are expected to be released in the coming five weeks. The third, a soldier named Edan Alexander, 21, from New Jersey, will likely have to wait longer.

The Bibas family – two parents and their two small children, who were abducted by Hamas – were not mentioned. One of the children, Kfir, now two years old, was only ten months old at the time of their kidnapping.

Last weekend, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages: Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari. Each was given a paper “gift bag” and a certificate indicating their release during the handover process.

Israeli media reported that the bag included a necklace, a map of Palestinian territory, and some photographs.

“I have never seen or heard of such a bizarre scenario in 49 years of studying terrorism,” remarked Bruce Hoffman, a senior counterterrorism fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in a social media post.

An Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement: How Long Will It Last?

Israel announced on Saturday that Hamas had breached the ceasefire terms by not releasing Arbel Yehud, a 29-year-old civilian. The reason for her not being freed remains unclear.

Despite this, Israel said it will maintain the ceasefire for now; however, they will not allow Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza until Yehud’s release is secured.

This situation has led to increased anxiety for all involved, especially for the family and friends of Eitan Horn, 38, and his brother Yair, 46, who vanished during Hamas’s onslaught in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border.

Yair suffers from diabetes and is expected to be part of the truce’s first phase for release.

His brother Eitan is not in the same position.

“This situation is certainly causing despair within the family. It’s heartbreaking and feels impossible,” stated their friend Liad Gross in a WhatsApp message.

“Each passing day is frightening. Every stage of the agreement brings uncertainty and fear.”