and ruins which will houses and ruins which will need years and years to be rebuilt. the only thing israel has achieved is to kill more than 55,000 civilians and destroy the infrastructure of gaza and most of the shelters and hospitals. if you are just if you arejustjoining us, we are bringing you the breaking news that four israeli hostages have been released as part of the ceasefire deal. you can see the ceasefire deal. you can see the pictures on the left—hand side of your screen where they were handed over by hamas to a red cross team in gaza city. the israeli military say they have now been transferred to them and they will undergo an initial medical checks and be reunited with their families. in exchange, as we have been talking about, israel will free

around 200 palestinian prisoners. we are expecting that to take place later. on the right—hand side of your screen, you can see that the idf spokesman has started his update. it has been in hebrew but let's have a listen now. today, as part of these ongoing efforts, we welcome time for more israeli hostages after a77 daysin more israeli hostages after a77 days in hamas captivity. liri albag age 19, naama levy aged 20, karina ariev aged 20, daniella gilboa aged 20. for idf soldiers who were all abducted by hamas on october seven, 2023. today we salute and embrace them and their families as they reunite just now after so long. we cannot

and will not forget the 90 hostages including women, children and elderly men still remain in brutal conditions in hamas captivity. hamas failed to meet its obligations to first release israeli female civilian hostages as part of the agreement. we are determined to return to the return of an israeli citizen kidnapped from nahal oz. and also a mother and two children whose welfare we are extremely concerned about. we appreciate and thank the efforts of all international mediators, united states, qatar and egypt. and we expect them to make sure hamas stands in accordance with the

agreement. idf troops will continue to be deployed and operate and to do everything, everything, to protect the citizens of israel. our mission is not over until every single hostage comes home. speaks hebrew. studio: the idf sokesman speaks hebrew. srumo: the idf spokesman is — speaks hebrew. studio: the idf spokesman is now _ speaks hebrew. studio: the idf spokesman is now answering - spokesman is now answering questions in hebrew, but he did make that statement saying that today we salute and embrace the four idf soldiers who have been released. you can see the pictures on your screen of the moment they were handed over to the international red cross. they have then been transferred

back. the idea of confirming that they are back in israel. —— idf confirming. for returning soldiers, karina ariev, daniella gilboa, naama levy and liri albag are now back. they have crossed the border into israeli territory with idf forces. the statement goes on to say that the returnees, accompanied by idf forces recently crossed the border into the territory of the state of israel and are now on their way to the initial absorption point in the gaza strip where they will meet with their parents. we know that we have a correspondence in hostage square in tel aviv who is posting on our live page that we have up and running that we have up and running that says there was a large cheer when the prisoners were

announced to have returned to israel. it was interesting what the idf spokesman was saying whilst welcoming and saluting and embracing the four that had been released. he went on to say that we will not forget the 19 still being held. he also then went on to say that hamas had failed to follow all of the agreement to release all of the female hostages. he also mentioned that the two children that were being held as well, the concern about them and that they want the international mediators, he mentioned the us, he mentioned qatar and he mentioned egypt, to help them to stand in accordance with the

agreement. so, interesting that the israelis saying that hamas haven't stood by the exact details they believe of the ceasefire deal. joining me now is our middle east correspondence. jon donnison who's in ramallah, our gaza correspondent rushdi abualouf who's in cairo, and our middle east editor sebastian usher. let's start with yolande, our middle east correspondence in tel aviv. yolande, just explain what the reaction was like in hostage square at that moment that the four soldiers were released. that the four soldiers were released-— that the four soldiers were released. ~ , ., , , that the four soldiers were released. ~ , ., , ., , released. well, you may be able to see behind _ released. well, you may be able to see behind me _ released. well, you may be able to see behind me that _ released. well, you may be able to see behind me that there - released. well, you may be able to see behind me that there are | to see behind me that there are hundreds of people gathered here, some of the holding the israeli flag, many have luminous t—shirts that say in hebrew, you are not alone. a

message to those young women who have just been freed from captivity to the families of hostages that remain in gaza and others who may get to see them still in captivity. and really people here, a huge sort of expression of relief as the mood of tense calm was lifted with the first glimpse of those four israeli women appearing on a stage in army uniform in palestine square in gaza city. some of them smiling broadly and waving. people then also when they got the news through, because everything is being laid here on a large screen, when they heard they had made it across on to israeli soil, there was another kind of round of applause and some more cheering. people here are extremely here to know that these young women about whom there has been so much concern in israel, they really have become household names, a lot of details have come through

about their surveillance unit. we had those first images that came out after the 7th of october a tax that showed them really sort of some of them bloodied, hands tied and taken off into gaza. —— attacks. one off into gaza. —— attacks. one of them in a group of seven was found to have been killed in gaza, her remains found in gaza city. another one does remain still in gaza and one had previously been released as a result of a israeli military operation. we had been getting over the course of the past 15 months different updates about them, theirfamilies have been quite prominent in calling for their return, but as i have been saying. there is a mixed response here to all that is going on because we are surrounded by people, may relatives, supporters, who know personally some of the other hostages who remain in gaza. just look all around me here, posters of men who remain in captivity, they are not even due to be released at this

stage. the soldiers among them, during the initial six weeks of this fragile ceasefire deal, and many people in israel are very concerned that negotiations will not succeed in securing the next stage of this ceasefire deal beyond six weeks to bring home the remaining captives. fin weeks to bring home the remaining captives.- remaining captives. on a practical _ remaining captives. on a practical level, _ remaining captives. on a practical level, we - remaining captives. on a practical level, we know| remaining captives. on a i practical level, we know the idf say they are now back in israel, what happens over the coming hours?— israel, what happens over the coming hours? the initialthing is for those _ coming hours? the initialthing is for those four _ coming hours? the initialthing is for those four young - coming hours? the initialthing is for those four young women | is for those four young women to be taken to a kibbutz in the south of israel where they have their reunions with their parents and we saw images earlier of a helicopter arriving there. it appears their parents were taken to this location. after some initial medical checks, they are then taken to hospital not farfrom us here in tel aviv. that is where we have already been told there are different

medical specialists with everything in mind from the nutrition of these young women to their physical well—being. we know one of them at least was suffering early in the walk from a serious leg wound from the footage that came out at the footage that came out at the time. —— early in the war. they will also take care of their psychological well—being. they are expected to stay at that hospital for the coming days and meet more of their loved ones there. we saw with the first three women released, the first three women released, the civilians last weekend when this ceasefire deal really started to come into force, that that they are shielded from the public and media with so much israeli public concern about their well—being, people desperately waiting for news about them and they will also be able to pass on messages about other hostages that they may have come across during their time in captivity. their families being updated as well.

it was interesting that the idf spokesman speaking in the last ten minutes was saying that hamas had failed to meet their obligation under the ceasefire agreement to prioritise release of civilians first. just explain what was agreed as part of this first phase with hamas and israel. of this first phase with hamas and israel-— and israel. yet, under the terms of _ and israel. yet, under the terms of the _ and israel. yet, under the terms of the ceasefire - and israel. yet, under the l terms of the ceasefire deal, civilians release is prioritised over that of soldiers, women ahead of the men and also of course alive ahead of those who may be dead. it had been expected, according to reports in the israeli media, that there would be another woman, an israeli civilian kidnapped from her home on the 7th of october who would be released today. and then there was another concern about why her name did not appear on the list that was

announced by hamas appear on the list that was anno