Sawt Falasteen - Israelis rejoice at release of second group of Gaza hostages

Hundreds gathered at the square in the early morning in anticipation of the release of the four hostages, all women soldiers. Some attendees wore yellow t-shirts bearing the slogan: "You are not alone."

Many Israelis began to breathe a sigh of relief as the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which also sees Palestinian prisoners freed, got underway last Sunday after a 15-month ordeal.

"I'm super excited, waves of excitement and happiness," said Shlomi Ben Yakar, 54. "In the past it felt like a dream, and now it's a good dream that is coming true."

All eyes were fixed anxiously on the screen for hours, awaiting the arrival of an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy at a square in the centre of Gaza City.

As soon as the four women's silhouettes appeared on the screen, cries of joy erupted, with many embracing one another tearfully in celebration.

Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and Liri Albag, 19, waved, smiled, and gave thumbs up as they were paraded on a stage in Gaza City, flanked by masked and armed militants.

"The feeling is great, excitement, tears and joy, it's all at once," said Sima Ben Naim, a 70-year-old from Tel Aviv.

"It's not only happiness, we also have tears, and I hope all (the hostages) will return."

One woman cried and laughed holding up a picture of Levy, under whose name appeared the number 19, struck through and corrected with the number 20, indicating the age she turned while in captivity.

There were more scenes of jubilation when Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced on live television that the four women had arrived in Israel, after 477 days in war-ravaged Gaza.

- 'Bring them home' -

Hana Mamalia, a 71-year-old from Ramat Hasharon, told AFP: "I almost fainted, my husband had to hold me, I have no voice, it’s good, I hope all will return home in peace. Amen!"

Militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack which triggered the war. Of those, 87 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.

The first, six-week phase of the ceasefire that began on Sunday should see the staggered release of a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

"Bring them home now!" shouted a group of women in the crowd in Tel Aviv, echoing the slogan of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group.

Many fear for the fate of the remaining hostages as far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition oppose the ceasefire.

Hours after Sunday's hostage release was completed, thousands of protesters again gathered in Tel Aviv as they have done weekly throughout the war to pressure the authorities to secure the release of hostages.

An AFP correspondent said the demonstrators chanted in support of the return of all remaining hostages, including those not slated for release during the first phase of the truce.

"The families cannot breathe. We are under immense stress... We will do everything, we will fight until the end, until the last hostage" returns, said Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is still held in Gaza.

Efrat Machikava, niece of hostage Gadi Mozes, said that "our hearts are filled with joy for the four hostages who returned to us today, but we are extremely concerned for our loved ones still held in terrorist captivity."

O.Salim--SF-PST