TEL AVIV/GAZA: The first three Israeli hostages have been transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross under the ceasefire deal with Hamas, the Israeli military says.
Television footage showed the three women climbing out of a car in Gaza, accompanied by armed fighters.
The three hostages expected to be handed over were earlier named as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, who have spent almost 500 days in captivity since the October 7, 2023 attacks.
The three women were due to be handed over by the Red Cross to an Israeli army unit in the Gaza Strip.From there, the women are to be taken to a military facility in Israel near the Gaza border for an initial examination before they are taken to hospital in Tel Aviv, where they are to meet their families.
The first stage of the agreement foresees the release of 33 Israeli hostages held inGaza in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, while the Israeli army is to withdraw from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.
The deal was announced on Wednesday, capping months-long efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire and Hamas to release thehostages it is holding.
