Hamas has begun releasing hostages from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, as Israel confirmed that a body handed over earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas.
Hamas transferred two Israeli hostages, Tal Shoham, a Mossad operative, and Avera Mengistu, who was captured in 2014, to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Saturday as part of the seventh prisoner exchange under the January 19 ceasefire agreement.
The handover was formalized by Red Cross representatives signing a transfer protocol with the Al-Qassam Brigades, ensuring the captives' safe passage.
Following this, the Israeli military confirmed their release and announced their transport to Tel Aviv for an initial medical evaluation.
Additionally, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, and Omer Wenkert were recently handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, located in the center of the Gaza Strip, as part of the latest hostage release by Hamas.
In total, six Israeli captives were released on Saturday in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention.
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