A loud cheer swept through the crowd gathered at a Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostage Square, where giant screens livestreamed the long-awaited release of four Israeli hostages on Saturday, the latest to be freed under a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Hamas released Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Daniella Gilboa on Saturday. Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.
The exchange is part of a deal between Israel and Hamas that will see a total of 33 hostages returned to Israel in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Hamas freed four female Israeli hostages on Saturday, in the second round of a deal between Israel and Hamas which also saw about 200 Palestinian prisoners released.
TEL AVIV — Hundreds gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square and New York City’s Central Park to celebrate ... and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, left Gaza after more than 15 months in captivity.
Israel and Hamas were expected to swap more hostages for Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, the second such exchange since a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip last weekend and another test for the deal.
As they were released, hundreds of people cheered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square where they were watching the drama unfold on a big screen television.
The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group. The fragile deal has so far held, quieting airstrikes and rockets and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory.
Hamas to release three Israeli hostages from Gaza, including an American dual national, amid a 42-day truce and ongoing prisoner exchanges
The organization representing families of hostages held in the Gaza strip is celebrating the news that three male hostages would be released Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The exchange of hostages for prisoners is a key part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas.