In October 2023, four Israeli soldiers captured in Gaza were released by Hamas. Israeli authorities confirmed that these women were exchanged for 200 Palestinian detainees, according to the Adyrna national portal.
This exchange took place as part of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. On Saturday morning, the Red Cross took custody of the Israeli women, identified as 20-year-old Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levi, and 19-year-old Liri Albag, who had been detained near Gaza on October 7, 2023.
According to a statement by Israel Prison Service, most of the released Palestinians were transferred to the West Bank. Among those freed, the youngest detainee was a 16-year-old Palestinian, while the oldest was 69-year-old Mohammed al-Toussa, who had spent 39 years in prison. He was detained in 1985 during clashes with Israeli forces.
Many of the released Palestinians had been serving life sentences in Israel.