Four Israeli soldiers have been released by Hamas after being held captive for 15 months in Gaza.
Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, who are all 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were seen on Saturday stepping out of a Palestinian vehicle and were handed over to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross after being paraded in front of a crowd in Gaza City.
The women were brought onto a stage after exiting the vehicle, as they beamed with joy and relief and waved to the crowds.
The four women were then transported to the border of Gaza, where a helicopter waited for them.
Around an hour after being handed over to the Red Cross, the Israeli Defence Force confirmed that the four hostages had arrived back in Israel.
‘The four returning soldiers, Daniela Gilboa, Liri Elbag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev, have now crossed the border into Israeli territory with IDF and Shin Bet forces,’ the IDF wrote on X.
‘The returnees, accompanied by IDF and Shin Bet forces, recently crossed the border into the territory of the State of Israel and are now on their way to the initial absorption point in the Gaza Strip, where they will meet with their parents.’
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari also said in a televised speech that Israel ‘cannot and will not forget’ the 90 hostages who remain in Gaza.
The hostages were then taken to designated locations in Re’im, Israel, before being transported by vehicle or helicopter to hospital, where they will receive medical checks.
It was confirmed that they had been reunited with their parents.