(CLO) Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, but a delay in releasing another hostage has forced Israel to block hundreds of thousands of Gazans from returning to the devastated north.
Four female Israeli hostages released in the second exchange of the Gaza ceasefire were led onto a platform in Gaza City amid a crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men.
The hostages - named as Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag - waved and smiled before being led away, into Red Cross vehicles to be transferred to Israeli forces.
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Video of the event of returning 4 female Israeli soldiers in Gaza (source: QudsN)
Shortly afterwards, buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners were seen leaving Israel's Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Prison Service said all 200 had been released.
The release of prisoners on both sides was cheered by crowds, including Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv and Palestinians gathered in Ramallah.
Four female Israeli prisoners of war during a handover event in Gaza. Photo: QudsN
But Hamas' failure to release another hostage, an Israeli civilian woman, prompted Israel to announce it was suspending plans to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
Hamas said it would release more hostages next week and called the halt to the reopening of the north a violation of the ceasefire. The truce requires Hamas to release 33 women, children, elderly, sick and wounded in an initial six-week period, with Israel releasing 30 prisoners for every civilian and 50 prisoners for every soldier.
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Video of female soldier Naama Levy reuniting with her family (source: IDF)
The women were reunited with their families and later airlifted to a hospital in central Israel. Video released by the Israeli military showed them hugging their parents, smiling and in tears.
According to a list released by Hamas, the 200 Palestinians freed on Saturday included militants, some serving life sentences. Israel said those convicted of killing Israelis would not be allowed to return home. About 70 would be deported to Egypt, and from there to another country, possibly Türkiye, Qatar or Algeria.
Palestinian prisoners are released from Israeli prisons. Photo: Screenshot.
Sixteen others were taken to Gaza and the rest were released to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where cheering crowds waving Palestinian flags gathered in Ramallah to greet them.
Hoang Hai (according to IDF, AJ, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hinh-anh-va-video-hamas-to-chuc-su-kien-tha-4-nu-con-tin-israel-o-gaza-post332037.html
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