Israel at war day 478: What happened in Gaza, West Bank?

A group of 70 Palestinian prisoners who were released as a part of Israel's hostage deal with Hamas on Saturday have been deported to Cairo, where they were received by Hamas and Islamic Jihad delegations, Hamas and Al Araby revealed on Sunday morning.

The prisoners were also greeted by their family members.

Zaher Jabarin, the Head of the Martyrs, Prisoners and Wounded Office in Hamas, reportedly said during the reception of the deported prisoners, "The liberation of prisoners within the deal represents a historic victory for the will of the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance."

Hamas has not yet provided Israel with the list revealing the status of the hostages held in Gaza captivity, which it was obligated to provide by Saturday under the ceasefire agreement. 

According to a Walla report citing Israeli officials, the list was expected to include details on how many of the hostages remaining in Hamas captivity are still alive and how many are deceased.

An Israeli official reportedly said that failure to provide the list by the end of the day would be another violation of the agreement by Hamas.

Three Israeli women released from Hamas captivity last week have shared accounts of their time in Gaza, shedding light on months of physical and psychological torment, according to an N12 news site report.

The women described being moved between civilian homes and Hamas tunnels. They were kept in unsanitary conditions for months and often denied showers, medical care, and access to proper hygiene facilities. Some were held in complete darkness for extended periods and suffered from severe hunger.

In addition to their physical suffering, the hostages were subjected to forced labor. Some were made to cook meals and clean toilets for their captors. They were forbidden from crying or holding hands, further compounding their psychological distress.

Shabbat morning in Tel Aviv had a different energy as the city’s Hostage Square hosted over a thousand people who showed up to watch and support the release of four female hostages from Hamas captivity.

Live streams and updates were projected on stage as Hamas terrorists handed freed captives Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, and Naama Levy into Red Cross custody, returning home to Israel.

Music played, and Israeli flags waved through the air as people eagerly waited for confirmation that all four women were not only in the custody of Israeli authorities but back in Israeli territory.

During an IDF operation in the Ash-Shuhada area of the West Bank, near Jenin, troops fired at terrorists who barricaded themselves inside a building, resulting in subsequent claims that unarmed civilians were wounded, the IDF said on Saturday evening. 

Shortly after the statement was made, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a two-year-old toddler was killed by IDF fire. 

The toddler was named Layla Mohammad Al-Khatib, and she reportedly succumbed to her wounds after sustaining a critical head injury from a gunshot, according to the Palestinian News & Information Agency, WAFA. 

Four former hostages were released Saturday as part of Phase 1 of the hostage-ceasefire deal, as IDF surveillance lookout soldiers Karina Ariev, Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy returned to Israeli territory after 477 days in captivity.

Ahead of Saturday’s hostage transfer, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, along with Gazan civilians, congregated in Palestine Square in Gaza City as the four IDF soldiers were paraded on stage.