Emily Damari, 28, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Romi Gonen, 24, were released with sick 'memorabilia' commemorating the nearly 500 days they spent in Hamas internment

Hamas militants handed over Israeli hostages to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Sunday in Gaza City. The hostages got into

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas handed over three Israeli captives to the Red Cross on Sunday as part of the initial phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza.

A long-awaited ceasefire has started in Gaza following a three-hour delay, bringing respite to the besieged enclave after a bloody 15 months. Follow for live updates.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed its readiness to manage all aspects of a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas released three Israeli hostages during the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire that came into effect on Sunday. Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari had been in Hamas custody since October 7, 2023 and had been held in Gaza.

Hamas has released the first three Israeli female hostages after the Gaza ceasefire took effect on Sunday, January 19.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas handed over three Israeli captives to the Red Cross on Sunday under the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. The three captives were handed over by Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, at Saraya Square in central Gaza City, according to an Anadolu reporter.

A ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas has gone into effect, despite a nearly three-hour delay on Sunday morning. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the truce was delayed after Hamas failed to hand over a list of hostages by the allocated time period.

Emily Damari is one of three women released, the first of 33 hostages due to be let go under the terms of the ceasefire

Chaotic scenes enveloped the three hostages from Israel who were handed over to the Red Cross Sunday by masked Hamas militants wearing green headbands in a packed Gaza City square. Hamas fighters struggled to hold the crowds back from the convoy of Red Cross SUVs that had arrived at Saraya Square in the west of Gaza City to collect them.