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Hamas frees four Israeli hostages in second swap of Gaza deal

Related Topics: HAMAS CV, Gaza Strip, Daniella Gilboa

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Hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza

By Maayan Lubell, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Dawoud Abu Alkas

JERUSALEM/CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) -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 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 ICRC vehicles and being transported to Israeli forces.