Palestinian militant group Hamas has released four Israeli female soldiers who were held in the Gaza Strip as part of the latest ceasefire agreement, according to the Israeli military.
In return, the Jewish State released 70 Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the women will undergo medical assessments once they reach Israel and will be reunited with their families.
“Our mission is not over until every single hostage comes home,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a recorded video on Saturday.
The Israeli military identified the four women as Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag. A fifth soldier was also in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, but was not included in the list, according to The Associated Press.
The female soldiers were all abducted from the Nahal Oz base during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel which sparked the war in the region after more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and some 250 people taken hostage.
Israel responded with a bombardment campaign that has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials. The tally does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The latest prisoner release is part of a six-week ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas which was reached 10 days ago, bringing the two sides closer to halting fighting that has been ongoing for the past 15 months. The deal officially took effect last Sunday, after approval from the Israeli government.
The exchange bumps the number of Israelis released to seven as three hostages — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari — were already released as part of the agreement last weekend.
The Israeli military is set to withdraw from the central part of the Gaza Strip as part of the ceasefire deal, allowing thousands of Palestinians to get back home. The development seems to be put on hold until Israelis can get Arbel Yehud back, one of the last civilian women held by Hamas, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
More than 100 captives were also freed during a weeklong truce in 2023.
