There is rejoicing in Israel today as four more hostages have been freed by Hamas under the terms of the ceasefire deal.

However, there is some consternation regarding the terms of the deal. Hamas was supposed to return all the civilian women and children first, under the phase one negotiations. After last week’s hostages were released, the expectation was that the rest of the civilian women would be released. Instead, the four hostages returned today were women from the IDF observation post.

Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19 — all of whom are members of the Israeli Defense Forces —were freed on Saturday in the second round of hostage releases after they were abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel.

In exchange, Israel was expected to free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks.

One of their comrades did not make the list to come back. The IDF has now halted all travel north in Gaza until at least one of the civilians who were promised to be released are returned. And the reason Hamas didn’t release her? They actually don’t have custody of her.

Arbel Yehud, a female Israeli citizen kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, will be released by the terrorist group next week.

The 29-year-old is expected to be released next Saturday, Reuters reported, citing a Hamas official.

Israeli officials demanded the terror group provide a sign of life and guarantee Yehud will be a part of the next round of hostage releases, The Times of Israel reported, citing Israel’s Channel 12.

Yehud is believed to be held by the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not Hamas, complicating her release.

And here we hit upon one of the major problems with the hostages. Hamas themselves likely does not know where they all are. While Hamas did most of the kidnapping on October 7th, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and random Gazans also went and helped themselves to Israelis during the attack. Hamas must have figured that offering up the IDF soldiers they did have right now, was easier than trying to get Arbel Yehud from Islamic Jihad. It also doesn’t hurt than under the terms of the negotiations, they get more prisoners released for every soldier released. And, of course, everyone is still waiting for official confirmation on the fate of the Bibas family, especially the children Ariel and Kfir, who qualify for release under phase one – if they are still alive. As everyone should remember, Hamas has lied repeatedly about the status of hostages.

While the deal sits on shifting and unstable sands, no one can deny the joy and happiness of four families in Israel today.

Even though Hamas is busy putting on a dog-and-pony show to show off how they are being so magnanimous in handing them over to the International Red Cross, who is acting as the Uber driver to the IDF.

#BREAKING Footage of the four Israeli women forced to parade and wave to a crowd of armed terrorists before being handed to the Red Cross.

They have endured 477 days in hell. pic.twitter.com/kg1NgeRM1e

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 25, 2025

These women were handed GIFT BAGS WITH CERTIFICATES from Hamas, while glitter was thrown around on stage. It’s like a demented and twisted version of a graduation ceremony, and it is utterly disgusting.

A twisted propaganda video Hamas terrorists published in an attempt to spin the four hostages’ release Saturday in a celebratory light after they were held 477 days in captivity was slammed by IDF as cruel.

The 2-minute, 53-second clip, released by the terror group’s Al-Qassam Brigades military wing, shows the four soldiers — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — dressed in military-style garb and seated in a white SUV, where they are given framed certificates with their “prisoner release form,” as well as a keychain and “gift bags.”

The women thank Hamas in Arabic, according to The Times of Israel, before they are brought out onto a stage in Gaza City, surrounded by thousands of cheering onlookers and gun-toting terrorists being showered with confetti by an elderly woman. After waving and smiling to the crowd, the hostages are led away by members of the Red Cross.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari tore into Hamas for demonstrating its “cruelty” by organizing a “cynical ceremony,” according to TOI.

Hamas “presented a misrepresentation of treatment and care for the hostages, while in reality, it is cruelly holding innocent civilians for 477 days,” he said.

Can we also reflect on just how absolutely useless the International Red Cross has been in this entire conflict? They have not been able to see the hostages, they have not pushed to see the hostages, and the best they can do is just drive them home once Hamas hands them over – a fact that they brag about. Everyone knows that Hamas is not treating hostages well, but the International Red Cross would like everyone to pretend that they are honest brokers in this entire arrangement. Bullshit. The sooner Hamas is eliminated, the better for the rest of the world. However, until every hostage is accounted for, Israel and all those waiting for loved ones will have to play along.

Meanwhile, these young women were welcomed with open arms by their families.

Liri, Naama, Karina, and Daniella reunited with their families after 15 agonizing months. pic.twitter.com/14lFETAQxZ

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 25, 2025

Their ordeal is not yet over, though.

#BREAKING A representative from Israel’s Health Ministry says the four newly-released hostages are in an “emotionally and medically complex” situation.

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 25, 2025

There is no futher explanation beyond that, but considering how they were treated when they were captured, there are a lot of very terrible and horrific things that could have happened to them – and they will be dealing with what happened for the rest of their lives. Pray for them.

Israel is apparently talking with mediators to try and speed up Arbel Yehud’s release, since she was supposed to be returned today. There is one more female IDF soldier still out there, Agam Berger, whom the others say was with them until just a few days ago. Where is she now? While the terms of this deal stink, Hamas still agreed to abide by these terms. That they are playing fast and loose with the hostage list means nothing good. Either they have lost track of them, or they are dead. And if Hamas is already playing for time, that means we should be bracing for a lot more sorrow than joy in the coming weeks.

Featured image: flag of Israel by edu_castro27 via Pixabay, cropped and modified, Pixabay license