The hostages were taken during the October 7, 2023 attack.Hamas has released three Israeli hostages, after days of fears over future of the Gaza ceasefire.
Israel is releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners in return, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office - some have arrived in the West Bank, more are due in Gaza later.
Hamas said on Monday it would not release hostages this weekend, blaming Israel for alleged violations of the the ceasefire.
Israel said if hostages weren't released by midday (local time) on Saturday, it would resume attacks on Gaza.
Israeli hostages 'forced to endure despicable ceremony' - Israeli president
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, posting on social media, says the three hostages released today were "forced to endure" a "despicable and cynical ceremony".
"Completing a hostage deal is a human, moral, and Jewish imperative. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring back all our sisters and brothers from captivity in Gaza", he says.
Defence minister Israel Katz, also posting on social media, says Israel will continue to work with the US to "ensure that all hostages return to Israel soon" and that "the Palestinian terror threat is destroyed and removed from Gaza".
Reception of Israeli hostages after their release by Hamas on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says that Monday will mark the "unimaginable milestone of 500 days during which 73 hostages are being held in Hamas' hell in Gaza".
Hostage release a painful watch for families in Israel
This morning’s hostage release was well organised and lacked any of the chaos witnessed during earlier releases.
Nor did the hostages look as emaciated as the three released last week.
Israelis know that Alexander Troufanov, Yair Horn, and Sagui Dekel-Chen have been through hell, but this morning they breathed a sigh of relief that the hostages appeared to be in better physical shape.
But that doesn’t mean that the handover, conducted amid a sea of flags and slogans, was easy to watch.
The displays of weaponry (some Palestinian militants were brandishing Israeli-made assault rifles), the slogans and serried ranks of gunmen in freshly pressed uniforms were all designed to project power and authority.
For some Israelis, this will have served to reinforce the belief that Israel should crush Hamas once and for all.
Others will argue that after 16 months of the Israeli military’s furious assault on Gaza, “total victory” remains an illusion that cannot and should not be pursued.
But three more hostages are back home. And that, for everyone, is something to celebrate.
