Home at last: the ongoing fight for the return of the remaining 90 hostages

On Saturday, January 25, after delays caused by Hamas's failure to uphold agreements on the release of hostages, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev finally returned home to Israel after 477 days of captivity in Gaza.

The original agreement, which included the release of Arbel Yehud, was not honored by the terrorist group because, according to the information received, Arbel was in the hands of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which failed to provide timely updates on the hostage’s condition. Arbel has now been confirmed alive and is set to be released this Thursday alongside Agam Berger, marking two releases within the same week—the second scheduled for Saturday.

This morning, once again violating agreements, Hamas provided Israel with the final list detailing the physical conditions of the hostages to be released during the first phase of the deal. Eight of the 26 hostages still awaiting release in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire have been confirmed dead. The delay in providing the list, which was expected days ago, led the IDF to prohibit Gaza residents from returning to the northern part of the Strip, leaving thousands stranded along the shore, waiting for permission to return north.

Once the IDF received the list of hostages' conditions and confirmation from Hamas regarding Arbel Yehud’s release, the checkpoints within the Strip were reopened, allowing residents to proceed toward the northern area.

From left to right: Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Liri Albag, and Naama Levy.

Liri, Daniella, Naama and Karina are back home

Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev were released during a staged spectacle orchestrated by Hamas to create the illusion that the square where the release took place was crowded. In reality, only a few hundred people were present, but the group used specific camera techniques, focusing on tightly packed individuals in a small area, to give the impression of a massive crowd, further fueling their propaganda.

The four women, abducted from the Nahal Oz base on October 7, 2023, were soldiers kidnapped while wearing civilian clothes but were released in green uniforms resembling military attire. This was a deliberate move by the terrorist group to mock them, pretending they had been released in the same clothing they were captured in, once again serving their propaganda narrative, which distorts actual events.

The women shared that they were kept together for most of their captivity. With them was a fifth woman, Agam Berger, who was abducted at the same time but separated from the group on the day of the release. Agam is set to be released this Thursday.

Their accounts also revealed that Liri eventually became the group’s leader, taking charge of communications and information exchanges with their captors. The women were held in various locations, including Gaza City and Hamas tunnels, under conditions of extreme neglect, lacking hygiene and adequate nutrition. Some were forced to cook and clean for their captors but were not allowed to eat the food they prepared.

Some of them learned Arabic, while others spent time with the terrorists’ children.

Bring them all home

Ninety more hostages are still waiting to come home.

We won’t stop until they’re all back.