The Palestinian militant movement Hamas released four female Israeli soldier hostages on Saturday, in return for some 200 Palestinian prisoners, in keeping with a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.
The four hostages were led onto a podium in Gaza City amid a large crowd of Palestinians and surrounded by dozens of armed Hamas men. They waved and smiled before being led off, entering International Committee of the Red Cross vehicles and being transported to Israeli forces.
Hundreds of Israelis gathered at the so-called Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, crying, embracing and cheering as they watched the handover on a giant screen.
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