Initial indications suggest the physical conditions of the four returning former hostages - Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag - are stable.
At 2:45 PM, an Israel Air Force Yasur helicopter landed at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus, and the former hostages were transferred to the Returnees Wing in Schneider Children's Medical Center, accompanied by their parents.
Thousands of residents flocked to nearby streets to cheer for the returning hostages. Liri Alberg was seen through the helicopter window forming a heart shape with her hands. All the hostages waved to the cheering crowds, who joined in singing the national anthem, "Hatikvah."
The four are expected to remain hospitalized for at least a week. After undergoing extensive medical examinations, they will gradually recover and adapt to their newfound freedom, marking the beginning of their journey toward emotional healing.
"We have all been waiting for their arrival, excited and overjoyed to witness their return home," Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, a surgical specialist and head of the Medical Division at the Health Ministry, stated. "The preparation for their reception, as well as for all returning individuals, included the creation and establishment of a comprehensive, professional, and sensitive medical and psychological support system.
"The meticulous planning of their admission and treatment at the hospitals, as well as their continued care within the community, was developed over the past year, incorporating lessons learned from previous events," Mizrahi added.
An 'unimaginable reality'
"Today, we meet Liri, Daniela, Naama, and Karina after 477 days in Hamas captivity. This is an unimaginable reality. We, as the medical professionals in the healthcare system, are prepared to handle any medical condition that may arise. As part of these preparations, six hospitals have been equipped to receive the returning individuals in the coming period," the surgical specialist continued.
"Today, in accordance with the preparations and planning, the four returnees were admitted to Beilinson Hospital, reunited with their families, and began undergoing medical evaluations carried out sensitively and devotedly by the hospital staff. This is a complex event, both emotionally and medically, for the returnees, their families, the families of all the hostages, and for the entire people of Israel, both in the country and abroad.
"Alongside the excitement and the sense that the returnees are an integral part of all our families, we respectfully request everyone to preserve and honor their privacy and dignity," Dr. Mizrahi stated.
"We are doing everything to provide them with precise and sensitive care and wish for the return of all the hostages to Israel," he concluded.