Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday released four women Israeli soldiers who had been held as hostages in Gaza, handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Reuters reported.

The women were released as part of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that came into effect on January 19, pausing a conflict that started 15 months ago. Soon after the deal was reached, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three hostages held in Gaza.

Saturday’s exchange marked the second hostage swap under the agreement.

“The four returning hostages – Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev – have crossed into Israeli territory with IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and ISA [Israeli Security Agency] Forces,” the Israeli government said on social media.

“The returning hostages are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their parents,” it added.

One of the soldiers had been held by the militant group Palestine Islamic Jihad, Reuters quoted an unidentified Palestinian source as saying.

Two hundred prisoners would be freed by the Israeli government on Saturday as part of the exchange, Reuters reported citing a statement from Hamas. It added that 70 out of the 200 prisoners would be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank.

On January 15, Qatar announced that Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire and hostage swap deal. Doha was the key mediator in the negotiations. The Israeli Cabinet approved the deal on January 18.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire that began on Sunday involves the exchange of 33 hostages for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. This phase will also see the Israeli military withdrawing from all populated areas of Gaza and humanitarian aid being allowed into the besieged enclave.

The agreement also allows hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their neighbourhoods in Gaza. About 1.9 million people in Gaza have been displaced since October 2023, according to the United Nations’ Palestine refugee agency.

Negotiations for the second phase are scheduled to begin on the sixteenth day of the ceasefire and will aim for a “permanent end to the war”. It would also include the release of the remaining hostages, including men, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The second phase also entails the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The third and final phase would include the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of any remaining bodies of slain hostages.

Israel’s military offensive against Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 persons and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel retaliated by carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza, killing more than 47,700 persons, including over 17,400 children. About 400 Israeli soldiers died in the conflict.

Some hostages had been released in November 2023 as part of a brief ceasefire while some have been killed.

Also read: Israel-Hamas ceasefire will not end war or bring peace