Freed from Hell – Female hostages taste freedom after 15 months of Hamas captivity | The world | news

It was a scene of joy masked by the pain of 477 days in brutal captivity.

Smiling and waving, four Israeli soldiers have been held hostage by Hamas since their capture on October 7, 2023, under yesterday’s Gaza ceasefire deal.

Karina Ariev, 20, Daniela Gilboa, 20, Nama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were among 250 hostages captured by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.

These surprise attacks, which ignited the brutal 15-month war between Israel and the terrorist organization, left about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, dead.

In an attempt by Hamas to show that it still controls Gaza, the four soldiers – who were still wearing their pajamas in the early hours of that fateful day – were dressed in uniform, flanked by some masked gunmen from both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who also took part. In attacks.

The chilling scene ended when they were handed over to the Red Cross.

In return, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners.

All four women were taken hostage after terrorists overran the Nahal Oz base near the Gaza border where they were based, killing more than 60 soldiers.

Ms. Ariev was kidnapped when her sister Alexandra heard the gunfire during a phone call between the two.

A video later released by Hamas showed him being taken away in a car.

Ms Gilboa, appeared in a video released in July last year in which she was forced to appeal to the Israeli government to secure the release of all hostages.

Ms Levy had just begun her military service when she was arrested and photographed by Hamas as they bundled her into the back of a jeep with her hands tied behind her back.

Ms Alban had just entered military training as an observer when the attack occurred. Her family received letters from her through the other hostages.

But there was no sign of Ajam Berger, 20, a fifth soldier in their unit who was also kidnapped.

Berger, who was also working as a warden, was known to be the prisoner who usually began to spend the hair of prisoners about to be released.

“She melted the hair of the girls who knew it was set free, even though she had to stay behind. It was her way of sending it out with love and strength,” said her mother, Merav.

She was expected to be released next week.

Hundreds of people lined up as hostages from Tel Aviv, watching the drama unfold on big-screen televisions.

“I had goosebumps watching,” said onlooker Abiv Berkowitz. “I just want the war to end.”

But Israeli army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari criticized what he called the “cynical” public display of the young women by Hamas before their release.

He also said that Israel was concerned about the fate of the youngest hostages – Kfar and Ariel Bibas – and their mother, Sheri. Kfir Bibas celebrated his second birthday in captivity earlier this month.

The freed hostages were taken to an Israeli army base, where they were reunited with their parents, and can be seen in photos of them emotionally embracing.

When they arrived by helicopter at the Tel Aviv hospital, thousands of people dancing and celebrating outside looked up to see them knocked down.

Scenes of celebration were mirrored in the West Bank, where thousands of Palestinians gathered in Ramallah to celebrate the arrival of buses carrying prisoners. Many Palestinian flags or flags of different political factions.

Of the 200 released from Israeli detention, 121 were serving life sentences, according to a list released by Hamas.

Among the most high-profile militants released were Mohammed Udeh, 52, and Will Kasem, 54, both from East Jerusalem. They have been accused of carrying out a series of deadly Hamas attacks against Israelis, including a bombing in a cafeteria at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University in 2002 that killed nine people, including five American citizens.

About 70 have been expelled to Egypt, though some may eventually go to other countries, with Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey all expressing a willingness to transfer them, according to Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian prisoner advocacy group.