Hamas: Israel says first hostages have been released in swap

The Israel Defence Forces on Monday confirmed Hamas has released the first “seven hostages” in Gaza in the ongoing ceasefire agreement brokered by American President Donald Trump.
“Seven returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF and ISA forces on their return to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the IDF said in a statement on social media on Monday morning.
The IDF identified the seven hostages released as The IDF identified the released seven hostages as Matan Angrest, Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa Dalal.
The seven hostages were released after 738 days in captivity, since they were abducted and held hostage by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack that left about 1200 dead and 251 people abducted.
The IDF said it is prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later on.
We ask the public to act responsibly and with sensitivity, to respect the privacy of the returning hostages, and to rely solely on official information, the IDF said.
This comes as another development since war broke out between Israel and Palestine after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group.
Since the October 7 attack, Israeli soldiers have gone after Hamas in Gaza, killing about four of its leaders and over 67,000 people, including children and women.
Through previous intermittent ceasefire talks, some of the hostages have been released. However, Hamas still holds about 40 hostages.
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