Hamas releases four Israeli soldiers in exchange for around 200 Palestinian prisoners

Four Israeli hostages have been handed over to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Saturday. 

The hostages, who are all female soldiers, were released by Hamas in exchange for the release of around 200 Palestinian prisoners. The four soldiers, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag were all captured during the 7 October attacks.

The Palestinian prisoners include people who were serving long sentences and were convicted of murder, however no one invovled in the 7 October attacks will be free.

The prisoner swap comes following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the fighting in Gaza after 15 months of war. 

The first phase of the agreement involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. This process, which began with the release of the first three hostages and 90 prisoners, is expected to last around six weeks. 

Once this phase is completed, the second stage will commence 16 days later, where all remaining hostages will be released, and Israeli troops will fully withdraw from Gaza.

The third and final phase addresses the return of the bodies of hostages who died during captivity and the reconstruction of Gaza. The rebuilding process is expected to take years, given the extensive destruction caused by Israel’s military campaign.

The war in Gaza resulted in more than 46,000 people killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 

The casualties result from Israel’s military campaign, which was launched following Hamas's attack on 7 October that killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and while some have begun returning to their neighborhoods, much of the region is uninhabitable.