SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
Hamas has released four Israeli soldiers, all women, taken hostage in the attacks of October 7, 2023, and held in Gaza until today. Israelis watch the handover on a big-screen TV in Tel Aviv in what's now known as Hostage Squares and celebrated.
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SIMON: And for each part of the exchange, Israel is releasing around 200 Palestinian prisoners. NPR's Greg Myre is in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for being with us.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.
SIMON: What was that moment like?
MYRE: Yeah. Hamas presented this highly orchestrated handover. The four Israeli women dressed in olive military uniforms and, oddly, wearing lanyards, were paraded onto an outdoor stage in the center of Gaza City. Now, they were surrounded at all times by Hamas fighters, dressed head to toe in black, including balaclavas. They also wore their green headbands and carried automatic rifles. The women waved to the Palestinian crowd, and then they were presented to the Red Cross, which drove them a short distance to the Israeli military. The four women are now in a hospital outside Tel Aviv. As you noted, all were seized at an Israeli military base just outside of Gaza back in October of 2023 in the Hamas attack that ignited the war.
SIMON: This was a very different handover than what we saw last week, wasn't it?
MYRE: Yeah - a dramatic contrast. Last Sunday, in the first exchange under the ceasefire, Hamas drove three Israeli civilian women into the middle of a very unruly crowd in a central square in Gaza - lots of pushing and shoving, and the three women clamored into a Red Cross van. Hamas clearly wanted a more orderly exchange this time. And, Scott, I think, very importantly, Hamas wanted to show it's in charge of Gaza, that its fighters are willing to appear in public at a ceremony or event like this. An Israeli military spokesman was critical of the handover, describing this public presentation of the women as a cynical charade.
SIMON: And how is Israel accomplishing its part of the exchange?
MYRE: So just a couple hours later after that, the Israelis freed 200 Palestinians. This included many convicted of serious crimes. Media reports say about 120 of those released are Palestinians serving life sentences after being convicted of killings. Also, about 70 of those being freed are not being allowed to return to Palestinian areas. Israel says they are being deported to Egypt and then on to other countries in the region.
SIMON: Greg, are the releases on both sides an indication that the ceasefire is holding - it's working?
MYRE: Yes, Scott. It's absolutely a good sign that the ceasefire is now wrapping up its first full week and still holding. These releases are incredibly important to both Israeli and Palestinian societies as they welcome their people home. We're seeing additional developments as well. Hundreds of truckloads of aid are now flowing daily into Gaza, you know, far exceeding anything we saw during the 15 months of fighting. We should note there are some very hard questions that are still ahead. The first phase of the ceasefire lasts six weeks. The two sides will then have to negotiate some very hard questions, like, when will all the Israeli troops leave Gaza, and will Hamas be allowed to remain in charge of Gaza?
SIMON: NPR's Greg Myre in Tel Aviv. Thanks so much for being with us, Greg.
MYRE: Sure thing, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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