A few hundred Israelis gathered around the helipad near Beilinson hospital outside Tel Aviv to receive the four freed hostages on Saturday. The four female soldiers arrived at Beilinson hospital in two separate military helicopters that had transported the women from Re’im in southern Israel, near Gaza. A white curtain was raised for the hostages’ privacy as they moved from the helicopters to vans that would bring them inside the hospital.
Many who had gathered with friends and families there played music, danced, and waved Israeli flags in celebration of the hostages’ release. Among them was a 28-year-old American named Ira, who has lived in Israel for eight years. Ira expressed the excitement of the crowd at having the hostages back in Israeli territory after a long struggle.
