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Gaza ceasefire: Hamas releases 3 Israeli hostages after 471 days in captivity
The hostages got into vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross as the crowd of fighters chanted the name of the armed wing of Hamas.
Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as the ceasefire in Gaza comes into effect.
The hostages, all women, "were officially handed over to the Red Cross" in Gaza City ahead of their return to Israel, a senior Hamas official told AFP. They have been released after spending 471 days in captivity.
A giant screen outside the defence headquarters in Tel Aviv showed the three female hostages exiting a vehicle surrounded by armed Hamas men as thousands of Israelis cheered, embraced or wept in a square.
The hostages got into vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross as the crowd of fighters chanted the name of the armed wing of Hamas.
The three hostages were handed over to the Israeli Defence Forces, who said that they would undergo an initial medical examination.
"The three released hostages are being accompanied by IDF special forces and ISA forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment," the military said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, buses were awaiting the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention. Hamas said the first group to be freed in exchange for the hostages includes 69 women and 21 teenage boys.
Also Read | Ceasefire deal brings mixed emotions for families of hostages held by Hamas
The first phase of the truce in the 15-month-old war between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday following a three-hour delay during which Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the Gaza Strip.
Who are the three hostages?
The three hostages are Romi Gonen, 24, kidnapped from the Nova music festival, and Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Also Read | Dancer, nurse and Tottenham fan: Meet first 3 hostages released by Hamas
Some 250 people were kidnapped during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that triggered 15 months of war. Almost 100 hostages had remained in Gaza after the rest were released or their bodies recovered.
