Hamas released four Israeli hostages in the second exchange on Saturday under the Gaza ceasefire.
Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Levi, and Liri Albagh were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City. In return, the Israeli army is going to release 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, these four female soldiers were posted as observers at the Nahal Oz Army Base near the Gaza border.
The ceasefire occurred on January 19, 2025, i.e. last Sunday. This is the second such exchange after that.
In the first exchange, three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were freed.
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, a total of 33 hostages are to be released over six weeks.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis. In this attack, 251 Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, 47,200 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, have died in the retaliatory action taken by Israel after the attack.
Karina Ariyev
When 20-year-old Karina Ariyev was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, she was posted at the Nahal Oz Army Base.
Her sister Alexandra told the BBC that Karina had called her during the attack and that she heard gunfire at that time, later she saw a video in which she was being taken away in a vehicle.
“She called me to say goodbye, we could hear the gunfire,” she said.
“She was terrified, screaming, and very nervous. Her last message was ‘They’re here,’ in the bomb shelter. That was the last contact we had with her.”
Alexandra then saw a video broadcast on Telegram about Karina’s abduction. In it, she recognized her sister, “She had blood on her face, she was screaming.”
Alexandra told the BBC, “I would never want anyone to go through something like this. It’s as if time has stopped.”
Naama Levi
20-year-old Naama Levi was filmed being taken away in a jeep with her hands tied to her back. The video was released by Hamas and shared many times on social media.
According to her mother, Naama Levi had just started her military service.
However, she had previously been part of Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives and her family described her as a “peace advocate”.
In a video of her abduction from the Nahal Oz army base, she was heard telling her kidnappers in English: “I have friends in Palestine.”
In May 2024, her brother Amit said his family had released the footage to “encourage all parties to return to the negotiating table” to resolve the “unbearable humanitarian tragedy”.
“We think she is handling the situation like the superhero she is, a hero fighting for her life.”
Daniela Gilboa
Daniela Gilboa, 20, suffered a leg injury when she was abducted along with other female soldiers at Nahal Oz.
He has been seen in several videos and in one last year he asked the Israeli government why the hostages were left helpless while there was a war going on around them.
Gilbo’s mother Orly told the Jerusalem Post that the video showed her daughter was “strong and determined” and that the injury she suffered on October 7 was not as serious as it seemed.
However, she said she was concerned about her “poor mental state”.
Meanwhile, her boyfriend’s father said his son is waiting for Daniela to return and plans to propose.
“My son asked her parents about marriage, to which they replied yes, although they are only 19-20 years old. After this, he looked up to the sky and shouted – I am going to propose to you,” the father said.
“He has been praying to God for her return and to meet him.”
“He has been praying to God for her return and to meet him.”
Liri Albagh
Liri Albagh was 18 at the time of the October 7 attack and had just begun military training.
Her cousin Aya Albagh is a corporal in the army. She said Liri had said she was ‘proud’ to join the army.
“She was very determined and very happy to be deployed to Nahal Oz,” Aya Albagh told the Jerusalem Post.
“She started her duty on Thursday and was kidnapped on Saturday morning, the third day after that.”
Her family says she somehow managed to send a message through previously released hostages.
Albagh is now 19 years old. A footage of her was released by Hamas in January 2024.
In this, she is seen saying, “I am only 19 years old. I have a whole life ahead of me, but right now my whole life has stopped.”
“The world doesn’t care about us anymore. Nobody cares about us. We are living in a nightmare.”
Which other hostages were released in the latest ceasefire?
In the first phase of the latest ceasefire, Hamas released three Israeli hostages last Sunday.
All three are female hostages. These include 24-year-old Romi Gonen, 28-year-old Emily Damari, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.
Romi Gonen was captured by Hamas fighters while escaping from the Nawa Music Festival.
She was released along with veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, a British-Israel dual citizen.
All three returned to Israel last Sunday and have reached their homes.
In the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, 26 Israeli hostages are now to be handed over. Israel’s Prime Minister has said that most of them are alive.
Israel has released their names:-
Itzik Elgarat, 69; Agam Berger, 20; Ohad Ben Ami, 55; Arbel Yahud, 29; Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29; Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36; Omer Wenkert, 23; Yair Horn, 46; Oded Lifshitz, 84; Or Levi, 34; Elia Cohen, 27; Ohad Yahalomi, 50; Tsachi Idan, 50; Keith Siegel, 65; Shlomo Mansour, 86; Gadi Moses, 80; Eli Sharabi, 52; Omer Shem Tov, 22; Tal Shoham, 39; Ofer Calderon, 53; Yarden Bibas, 34; Shiri Bibas, 33; Ariel Bibas; Kfir Bibas.
The list also includes two men, Hisham al-Sayed, 35, and Avera Mengistu, 27, who were captured by Hamas after entering Gaza from Israel before the war.
