Three Israeli hostages previously held by the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad were transferred to Israeli authorities on Saturday. The freed hostages were kidnapped in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The three were the sixth group of hostages freed as part of a swap deal between Palestinian militants and Israel under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel expected to begin releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners later on Saturday, with the first group expected to be released by noon on Sunday. The U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that if \”all of the hostages\” in Gaza were not freed by noon Saturday, the truce would be called off, and he would \”let hell break out\” The three hostages crossed the border into Israel on Saturday and are being treated at a military hospital in Tel Aviv, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced. The hostages’ brother, Eitan, remains in captivity in Gaza. The release is part of an ongoing ceasefire exchange between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
