The Palestinian group Hamas has handed over four Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinian prisoners in return.
The hostages, listed by the Hamas in advance, are soldiers Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Daniella Gilboa, all between 19 and 20 years old. They were members of a reconnaissance unit and were taken captive on October 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz military base near the Gaza Strip.
The IDF reported that the hostages were handed over to Israeli forces and will be taken back to Israel for medical examination.
However, The Times of Israel has pointed out that this release does not conform to the agreement between Hamas and Israel, which stipulates that civilians should be released first, followed by soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been holding consultations to discuss a response to the breach.
Earlier this month, Israel and Hamas agreed on a ceasefire to end their 15-month conflict, which had caused unprecedented destruction in the Gaza Strip. The agreement, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, is divided into three phases. In the first phase, Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages, including children, soldiers, the wounded and the sick, in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. In subsequent phases, the remaining male civilian and military prisoners held by Hamas are to be released and the remains of deceased individuals from both sides are to be returned.