On Friday, Hamas issued a statement revealing the identities of the captured soldiers, all of whom were women. Karina Arif, Daniel Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Elbag, have been under Hamas’ custody since October 7, 2023.

As per the information shared by Reuters, Israel was gearing up to release 200 Palestinian detainees in exchange.

This marks the second instance of captive liberation as per the terms outlined in a temporary ceasefire agreement, which has brought a brief pause to the war that has been ongoing for over 15 months.

The agreement stipulates that Israel will set free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, while Hamas will release 33 Israeli captives. It’s estimated that around 100 Israelis are still in Hamas’ custody.

The Israeli defense forces have confirmed that the released captives will immediately receive medical attention upon their arrival from Gaza. Following this, they will be taken to hospitals and eventually reunited with their families.