Four Israeli hostages released by Hamas in carefully-staged handover
Four female Israeli soldiers were taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October 2023. They were released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire. This deal also freed 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, all 19 to 20 years old, were freed. They were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City. This was done with dozens of Hamas gunmen present.
However, Israel accused Hamas of breaking the ceasefire. This is because Arbel Yehud, a female civilian, was not released.
Israel will delay letting displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza. Hamas says Arbel Yehud will be released next weekend.
Despite the disagreement, Israel released the Palestinian prisoners. Among them, 70 were deported to neighboring countries due to serious offenses.
Some prisoners will go to Gaza, while others can return to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The swap on Saturday was the second since a ceasefire on 19 January. In the first swap, three hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were released.
Carefully staged release
Saturday's event in Palestine Square, Gaza City, was highly choreographed by Hamas. It was unlike last weekend's chaotic handover.
The four hostages emerged from cars. They were then led by masked gunmen to a stage in the square. A Red Cross official had just signed documents with a Hamas fighter.
The hostages and the masked gunmen wore lanyards with ID badges. Each badge had its own accreditation for the event.
The stage had a desk and flags, symbols of bureaucracy. But there was also a machine gun nearby.
The four Israeli women were seen waving and smiling. Hamas gunmen and Palestinian civilians watched.
Hamas hopes these images show order and strength. They were aimed at Palestinians and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For Israelis, there was huge relief. The four hostages were reunited with their families.
Last week, many felt fury over the first three women's release. They were bundled away during the handover.
After Saturday's scenes, another anger was felt. It was over the public parading of the women before their freedom.
Strain over ceasefire terms
While Saturday's swap happened, Israel accused Hamas of breaking the ceasefire terms.
Israel expected Arbel Yehud to be released. The ceasefire deal prioritizes female civilians.
However, Hamas's list of hostages on Friday did not include Arbel Yehud.
After the four hostages were back in Israel, Israel delayed letting displaced Palestinians return to northern Gaza. This was as planned.
Israel was set to withdraw its troops from some positions in Gaza. But it won't do this until Arbel Yehud is released.
Later, a Palestinian official said Hamas told mediators Arbel Yehuda is alive. She will be released next Saturday.
The January ceasefire deal ended the war that started with Hamas's attack on 7 October 2023. About 1,200 people were killed, and 251 taken hostage.
More than 47,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's offensive. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says this.