When they spotted Liri Albag being marched by Hamas militants through a Gaza square on a live television broadcast, a group of her close friends burst into a mix of cheers, laughter and tears.
Albag was one of four female soldiers held hostage by Hamas since the armed group led the October 7, 2023, attack and released on Saturday as part of a cease-fire deal.
Nine of her friends came together to follow the release, watching television from one of their family homes in Matan, a village in central Israel.
They looked on tensely as images of the four hostages, dressed in military uniforms, left a car in Gaza City surrounded by armed and masked Hamas fighters and cheering civilians.
“She’s walking!” one friend exclaimed upon seeing the first images of Albag. “What a relief,” another added, as Albag, surrounded by militants, smiled brightly for the cameras and gave a thumbs-up.
“I didn’t expect her to pose with such strength,” said Tal Dimant, 19. “My body is shaking,” she added.
The hostages released on Saturday were soldiers posted to a base on the Gaza border and were lookouts responsible for monitoring the border. Their release was the second step of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas after the release of three hostages on Sunday.
New York Times News Service