In response, Israel has waged a massive retaliatory assault on Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving swaths of the coastal enclave in ruins.
The 20-year-old Israeli soldier Berger, whose release was confirmed by the Israeli government, was serving as a lookout at the Nahal Oz military base when she was abducted during the Oct. 7 attack.
Before her release, Berger was presented by the Al-Qassam Brigades with a certificate bearing their emblem commemorating the cease-fire agreement on a stage set up in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, where people are expected to celebrate the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The release is also being broadcast at a public square in Tel Aviv, where the crowd cheered, clapped and whistled as they watched Berger’s handover on big screens next to a large clock that’s counted the days the hostages have been in captivity, the AP reported.
