The Israeli military has taken custody of the first seven hostages released by Hamas on Monday as part of a ceasefire to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Hamas released them to the Red Cross which transferred them to the Israel Defence Forces.
There was no immediate information on their condition.
Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross.
The Red Cross said it will receive hostages held in the Gaza Strip in a “multi-phase operation” to transfer them to Israeli authorities, while also overseeing the release of prisoners to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The Red Cross “will also facilitate the transfer of remains of the deceased so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity,” it added.
The handover of the 13 remaining surviving hostages, plus 28 other Israeli hostages — 26 dead and two whose fate is unknown — is expected to follow later Monday.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is set to release almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and convicted prisoners from its jails later on Monday.
Those 1,966 detainees boarded buses at Israeli prisons and most were expected to be released at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital on Monday, an official involved in the operation said.
Hamas has started to release the last of the living hostages taken from Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. The release is one of the crucial early steps towards a lasting ceasefire and ending the war in Gaza.
Israelis jubilant as first hostages released
Tens of thousands of Israelis are watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
The packed crowd in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv erupted in cheers as the names of the hostages to be released were read on local television. They clapped and chanted “Bring them home now!”
Some held Israeli flags with a yellow hostage ribbon on it. Others held posters with the faces of the hostages. Some clutched their chests and choked back tears.
Palestinian families await Israel to release prisoners
Families of Palestinian prisoners gathered at a popular overlook in the occupied West Bank near Israel’s Ofer Prison, where some of the 250 long-term prisoners are expected to be freed after serving up to four decades for offenses including murder and attacks.
Many Palestinians expressed hope the releases could open a path toward peace.
Jamil Jahalin, a tour guide from a Bedouin tribe outside East Jerusalem, said he was cautiously optimistic the exchange would proceed smoothly, including the release of his brother-in-law imprisoned for 23 years.
Jahalin added his family was later told by Israeli security forces that he would be deported abroad.
As the Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect, The National’s Adrienne Arsenault speaks to Yousra Abu Sharekh, the programs coordinator for INARA — The International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance — about the current situation in Gaza.
