Four Israeli hostages reunite with families after release — as it happened

Israel has been fighting wars on multiple fronts over the past 15 months.

After more than a year of conflict in Lebanon, triggered by the war in Gaza, a 60-day ceasefire deal was struck between Israel and Hezbollah in November.

Under that agreement, both Israel and Hezbollah were supposed to withdraw their forces from southern Lebanon by this Sunday, the 26th of January.

But on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israeli forces would remain in place beyond the deadline, blaming the Lebanese Army for failing to take control of areas previously controlled by Hezbollah.

The Israeli army has now warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the southern border against returning to their homes until further notice, posting a map on social media, warning:

“Anyone who moves south of this line puts themselves in danger.”

Lebanon’s US-backed military has accused Israel of procrastinating in its withdrawal.

The four freed Israeli hostages are now meeting their families for the first time after being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 15 months.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the parents of 19-year-old Liri Albag, and 20-year-olds Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy were meeting their daughters at a reception centre in (Kibbutz) Re’im.

“We have completed the preparations for their return. From there, they will continue with their parents to the hospital,” he said.

All four female IDF soldiers were stationed at the Nahal Oz observation post on the edge of the Gaza strip where they were abducted by Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023.

“On the morning of October 7, the female soldiers acted bravely against the enemy. Many fell in the fierce battle – we embrace the families and stand with them.”

Another military spokesman has posted on X saying Hamas has not abided with the ceasefire agreement to release Israeli civilians first because Agam Berger was not among those released today.

Daniel Hagari echoed those concerns in a press conference a short time ago.

“Agam Berger is still being held captive by Hamas. We are committed to bringing her back and ensuring the return of all the hostages,” he said.

“Hamas has not fulfilled its agreement to prioritize the return of civilian hostages. We will insist that Arbel Yehoud returns, as well as Shiri and the children of the Bibas family, for whom we are gravely concerned.” he added.

In exchange for the four female IDF soldiers, Israel has released 200 Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the ceasefire deal.

Israel has said that any Palestinians who have been convicted of killing Israelis wouldn’t be allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank or Gaza and should be permanently deported and it looks like that’s unfolding now.

Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV says 70 of the prisoners have been deported to Egypt, arriving on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip a short time ago.

From there, they’ll be sent to a number of third-party countries which have agreed to take them, including Turkey, Algeria and Tunisia.

The rest were taken from Ofer Prison in the West Bank to Ramallah, where crowds of relatives and supporters have gathered.

Al Jazeera reports that of the 200, 121 are serving life sentences.

The oldest prisoner is 69 and the youngest is just 15. On the list are terrorists convicted of murder, car bombings, shootings and masterminding suicide bombings.

According to Haaretz, an Israeli media outlet, 21 prisoners will be released to the Gaza Strip.

Over the course of the 15-month war in Gaza, and in the years before it, Israel also arrested thousands of Palestinians and put them in “administrative detention”.

This is when they are held with no charges and no trial. They’re being released too, over the course of phase one of the ceasefire with Hamas. Some were freed last week.

As part of the ceasefire deal, it’s expected almost 2,000 prisoners and Palestinians in administrative detention will be freed from Israeli jails.

This is just the second of many of these hostage releases that will take place over the next five weeks.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement will see 33 hostages released all up so after last week and today, there are 26 to go.

The group is made up of women and children, men aged over 50 and injured civilians, including two Americans.

The only remaining women are fellow soldier Agam Berger and civilians Arbel Yehud and Shiri Silderman Bibas.

It’s not clear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive and Hamas is expected to provide an update on their conditions today.

There is concern in Jerusalem though that the update might merely provide an overall number of how many of them are alive, rather than which individuals are still alive.

After today, three hostages will be released every seven days, and the final 14 will be released in the last week of the first phase, which ends on the 1st of March.

Phase Two will involve negotiating the release of the 65 remaining hostages who are mostly male Israeli soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal.

We’re at the Re’im military base, close to the Israel Gaza border – this is where the four women have been brought by the IDF as their first stop after crossing back into Israel.

It’s here that they’re being reunited with some of the families, and receiving initial medical checks.

There are three military helicopters sitting in a field just outside the fenceline of the base, waiting to fly the group to the Beilinson Hospital at Petah Tikvah, just outside of Tel Aviv.

Earlier, IDF personnel and police were holding up white sheets at the doors of the helicopters – practicing shielding the women from sight of the media as they got on board.

This is the same place that the first group of hostages were brought last week – but there’s a much larger IDF presence this time trying to control access.

It may be that this is a daytime release of hostages. Last week, the group was freed in the evening and it was almost pitch black at Re’im when they were flown away.

Under the ceasefire deal, as a female civilian, 29-year-old Arbel Yehud should have been released before the four female Israeli soldiers.

Israel had been demanding that she was released today and claims that by failing to do so, Hamas has not abided by the ceasefire agreement.

Yehud was taken hostage from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, close to the Gaza border on October 7 and is believed to be being held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not Hamas, which could explain why her release has been delayed.

A short time ago, an official from Hamas told Reuters that mediators had been informed that Yehud is alive and will be released next Saturday.

She’s one of only two female hostages remaining. The other is Silberman Bibas who was taken along with two young sons Ariel and Kfir, 5 and 2, as well as her husband Yarden.

Hamas claims the mother and two children were killed in an IDF air strike but have not released any photo of video evidence, leading many in Israel to believe they could still be alive and that Hamas’s announcement is merely a piece of psychological warfare.

If the Israeli government uses the delay in releasing Arbel Yehud to defer its withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor that splits the Gaza strip in two, it will mean thousands of displaced Palestinians won’t be able to return to their homes in northern Gaza until the issue is resolved.

That’s a devastating blow for Gazans desperate to know what, if anything, remains of their homes in the north of the strip.

The IDF has released pictures of the hostages meeting soldiers on the Israel-Gaza border, after Hamas released them.

The family of Naama Levy, an Israeli hostage released by Hamas today, have released a statement:

“We are overjoyed and moved to see Naama standing strong and returning to us,” they said.

“Our hearts are with the Berger and Yehoud families who are still waiting for their loved ones.

“We will not rest until the last hostage returns.”

The two hostages they are referring to are Agam Berger and Arbel Yehoud, who are yet to be freed by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Palestinians will not be allowed to move back into northern Gaza until a female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, is released.

Four female Israeli soldiers have been freed by Hamas in the last few hours.

Israel had wanted a civilian, 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud to be among that group – but she wasn’t.

Mr Netanyahu’s office says the planned opening of crossing points for people to return to northern Gaza will not happen until she’s freed by Hamas.

In this picture supplied by the IDF, we can see the military convoy taking the hostages into Israeli territory from Gaza.

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Israel needs to release 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female IDF soldier so we’re expecting 200 to be freed today.

Unlike the first round of releases last Sunday in which many of the 90 prisoners released were being held for things like posting on social media or under Israel’s controversial administrative detention system, where people are held without charge based on classified evidence, this group will include some convicted criminals.

According to the deal, for each female soldier, 30 prisoners on life sentences and 20 prisoners sentenced to more than 15 years in prison will be released.

They’re likely to include militants convicted for deadly attacks in Israel and people convicted of murder.

According to Hamas, around 70 of them will be immediately deported and are expected to be released into Egypt, where they’ll either stay or be sent to third-party countries like Qatar or Turkey.

Israel says they won’t however include anyone involved in the October 7 attacks.

Here’s the moment Liri Albag, 19, and 20-year-olds Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy were given to the Red Cross in Gaza.

The four female IDF soldiers who were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza have now crossed the border into Israel.

The four women were accompanied by IDF and Shin Bet security forces and are now on their way to a reception point near the Gaza border where they’ll meet their parents.

In similar scenes to what we saw last week ahead of the first hostage release, Hamas fighters are out in force and the handover point.

It’s happening in Palestine Square in Gaza City, and the live feeds we’re seeing from international agencies show there are dozens and dozens of balaclava wearing Hamas militants massing in the square.

There’s banners up behind a lectern, with anti-Israel slogans.

They include “PALESTINE – THE VICTORY OF THE OPPRESSED PEOPLES VS THE NAZI ZIONISM” written in English.

There’s also Hebrew posters, in a direct message to the Israeli forces, saying “ZIONISM WON’T WIN”

Last weekend, the hostage handover in Gaza was a bit chaotic, and Hamas militants had to push onlookers back to make sure there was enough room to get the women to the Red Cross.

It appears a bit more ordered today, with the hostages lined up on a stage at one point.

Four Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have been handed over to the International Red Cross.

The four women were seen in their Israeli military uniforms on a stage in Palestine Square in Gaza City, before being escorted by Hamas militants into waiting Red Cross vehicles.

Liri Albag, 19, and 20-year-olds Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy will now be driven to the Israel-Gaza border where they will be handed to Israeli officials.

Israelis have been anxiously awaiting this second round of hostage releases as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Hamas has named the women to be released today as 19-year-old Liri Albag, and 20-year-olds Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy.

All four women are IDF soldiers who were stationed at the Nahal Oz observation post on the edge of the Gaza Strip where they were abducted by Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023.

Fifteen female spotters were killed at the base during the attacks and seven were taken into Gaza.

The family of Naama Levy says she participated in a delegation fostering connections between Palestinian and Israeli youth to create positive change.

Daniella Gilboa is reportedly a passionate musician who’s aspiring to pursue a professional career in music.

Karina Ariev is from Jerusalem, and according to relatives dreams of becoming a psychologist “and is known for being compassionate and bringing people together”.

The youngest member of the group, Liri Albag, had just joined the IDF after graduating high school but dreams of becoming an interior designer and architect.

Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is due to release 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female IDF soldier.

This is the second hostage/prisoner exchange as part of the most recent ceasefire deal signed between Israel and Hamas.

Last Sunday, the swap was done much later in the evening, local time, but right now, it has just gone 10:30am on Saturday.

When the previous exchanges were done, way back in November 2023, they also happened in the evening, so this is a first.

Before the swap taking place, Hamas militants in Gaza paraded through the streets.

There’s plenty of action in Gaza City right now, where civilians and Hamas militants have gathered in preparation for the release of four more Israeli hostages.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli authorities are expected to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees from jails today.

I’m Riley Stuart and I’ll be updating you with the latest details today.