Israelis held their breath as four soldiers, all women, were released from the Gaza Strip, the second group to be freed as part of a fragile cease-fire agreement with Hamas.

The hostage exchange is the second since the current ceasefire agreement. It is expected that by the end of the first phase of the deal's completion, 33 Israeli hostages will have been freed in exchange for the release of around 1,900 Palestinian detainees.