As thousands of Israelis came to cheer the helicopter bringing back four female hostages from Gaza on Saturday, it was a bitter-sweet moment as the nation also mourned those left behind.

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The family of Liri Albag, one of the four hostages released by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Saturday, have expressed their joy at being reunited with the 19-year-old soldier. "A sense of relief and happiness envelops us after 477 long and unbearable days of nerve-racking waiting.

Hamas is set to release four Israeli women soldiers held hostage since its October 7, 2023 attack today, under the ceasefire deal with Israel.

Israelis celebrated on Saturday the release of four Israeli soldiers held hostages in Gaza for the past 15 months, with scenes of jubilation in Tel Aviv where crowds gathered in a public square to watch the release broadcast live on screens.

The hostages were released in a staged handover that saw them surrounded by Hamas gunmen and crowds of civilians.

The Palestinian militant movement Hamas is expected to release four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.

Hamas on Friday announced the names of four Israeli women soldiers to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.