(TPS) Four kidnapped Israeli women, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levi are back in Israel after 478 days in captivity, IDF confirmed on Saturday noon.
“They are currently being escorted by a special IDF unit and Shabak forces on their way home, where they will undergo initial medical evaluation.” said IDF.
The four, who all served as a lookout and were kidnapped from Nahal Oz observation post, are being taken to Beilinson-Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikvah for a medical evaluation.
Liri Albag, a 19-year-old from Yarhiv, was kidnapped wearing only pajamas. Having just completed her military course two days prior, her personal history was marked by tragedy – her partner had been wounded in a terrorist attack a year and a half earlier. In May, her family released a disturbing Hamas-filmed video showing Liri wounded and terrified, desperately asking for “someone who speaks English”. Released hostages reported she was forced to perform menial tasks for her captors, cleaning bathrooms and cooking food she was not permitted to eat. Subsequently moved to underground tunnels, Liri’s ordeal continued, with another difficult sign-of-life video emerging in January 2025.
Karina Ariev, a 20-year-old from Jerusalem. During the initial moments of the Hamas attack, she called her father at 6:30, describing gunfire while crying and saying goodbye. With parents and a young sister named Sasha, Karina was featured in a Hamas propaganda video on January 26, 2024, alongside other hostages. The family later released an abduction video showing Karina and fellow soldiers handcuffed and surrounded by armed terrorists, moments before being taken to Gaza.
Daniela Gilboa, a 20-year-old from Petah Tikva, was kidnapped wearing pajamas during the Hamas attack. As the assault began, she messaged her mother: “They are attacking us, pray for us”. With a younger sister and boyfriend named Roei, Daniela appeared in a blurry video heading towards Gaza. On January 26, 2024, Hamas published a propaganda video showing her alive. In July, her family released a full captivity video where she emotionally addressed her loved ones: “I miss you very much… I ask you to be strong and do everything you can to bring me home, as long as I’m still alive”.
Naama Levi, a 20-year-old from Raanana, was kidnapped with her fellow lookout friends from Nachal Oz. On the morning of the attack, she messaged her mother about being in the protected space, after which all contact ceased. Video footage shows her being forced into a car in Gaza, her pants stained with blood. In a May video, Naama appears with a blood-covered face, eerily telling a terrorist, “I have friends in Palestine”. Despite her passion for sports and dreams of completing a half Iron Man in Eilat, Naama was reportedly held in captivity separately from her fellow soldiers.
The first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many are alive.
On Sunday, Israelis celebrated the return of Doron Steinbrecher, Romi Gonen and Emily Damari.
The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations to begin on the 16th day of the ceasefire. Critics say the phased approach condemns hostages not freed in the beginning to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 90 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead.
