 "Israel releases 200 Palestinian prisoners after freed hostages reunite with families (WATCH)")
synopsis
Hours after four young women soldiers were finally released by Hamas on Saturday, as part of its ceasefire agreement, Israel also released 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli authorities say they have released 200 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. The release came hours after Hamas freed four young female Israeli soldiers from captivity in Gaza on Saturday.
We're now receiving a report from the Israel Prison Service saying all 200 Palestinian prisoners due to be released today have been freed.
"After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the Ofer and Ktziot prisons," the statement, cited by AFP and Reuters, stated.
Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd. Israel followed with the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The soldiers were abducted by Palestinian operators on October 7, 2023 while serving near the Gaza border.
Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy were captured together while deployed in a surveillance unit at the Nahal Oz military base, close to the Gaza border. Their abduction was filmed by the operators.
A top official in Israel’s health ministry has delivered an update on the treatment of the four hostages freed earlier today.
“Today we are admitting them after 477 days in Hamas captivity,” Dr Hagar Mizrahi tells the media during a press conference. “This is an unimaginable reality.”
The four hostages were taken to Beilinson-Schneider Hospital and given a thorough medical evaluation, which was “emotionally and medically complex”, she adds.
The fighting has been halted for six week under the terms of the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed, while more aid flows in.
In exchange for the four soldiers released on Saturday, Israel should release 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks.
The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners.
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