Today, four Israeli hostages are scheduled to be freed from the clutches of Hamas in the second exchange of the fragile ceasefire agreement.
The soldiers, Karina Arif, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, were kidnapped on October 7 at the Nahal Oz military base.
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The women, all in their teens and early 20s, have endured 477 days of unimaginable hell in Gaza.
Terrifying videos posted earlier by Hamas terrorists showed them bloodied, bound and begging for help after being kidnapped in the deadly attacks.
But preparations are now underway for their release, with the Israeli army confirming that the soldiers will first arrive at a military facility near the Gaza border to undergo medical and psychological evaluations before being transferred to hospitals.
Their desperate families are said to be already on their way to meet their daughters there for the first time in more than a year.
The Israeli army said on the X website (formerly Twitter): “We ask for patience and sensitivity from the public and for everyone to respect the privacy of the hostages and their families.”
Hamas is expected to hand over the women to the Red Cross in Gaza City by noon local time, Palestinian sources told Israeli Channel 13.
Dozens of masked and armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists have arrived at a main square in Gaza City, where the four Israeli women hostages are expected to be handed over to the Red Cross.
They were seen carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, gathered in rows.
Many were carrying their groups' banners and wearing Palestinian-colored headbands, while crowds of Gazans gathered around them to watch.
Daniella (20 years old) was injured during her kidnapping and later appeared in propaganda videos showing her injuries.
Nima, also 20, was seen bleeding heavily in footage of her abduction, and her gray sweatpants were stained red.
Leary, 19, was stationed in Nahal Oz for just three days before she was kidnapped, while Karina, another 20-year-old observation soldier, was kidnapped in the chaos of the pre-dawn attack.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas will release the four women in exchange for the release of 180 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed their identities after senior Hamas officials revealed their names.
This agreement marks the second of four planned hostage releases, with three hostages released in the first exchange on January 18, including Briton Emily Damary.
As part of the interim agreement, a further 33 hostages, including women, children and the elderly, are expected to be released over a period of six weeks.
Meanwhile, the fate of the other prisoners remains uncertain.
The Bibas brothers, aged two and five, are among those still being held by Hamas, raising concerns that some hostages could face longer waits for freedom.
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Ariel Bibas, five, his brother Kfir, two, and their parents Yarden and Cherry are on the list of hostages to be released In the first phase of the ceasefire, which lasts for six weeks.
But their family recently revealed they had no idea whether the young children were dead or alive, after Hamas provided no proof of life.
While hopes are high for today's release, the IDF warns that the road ahead remains fragile.
Red Cross vehicles have already begun moving towards the Kerem Shalom crossing, indicating that an exchange may be imminent.
The exchange comes tomorrow after the release of the three hostages held by Hamas on Saturday, January 18.
Among those released was Briton Emily Damari, who emotionally reunited with her mother after 471 painful days.
Under the terms of the fragile ceasefire agreement, there will be two more sets of releases after today.
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