Gaza City: The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and Saraya Al-Quds, the armed faction of Islamic Jihad, handed over three Israeli captives, including a dual US national and a dual Russian national, on Saturday as part of the sixth phase of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal with Israel.

According to Anadolu Agency, the handover of Alexander (Sasha) Turbanov, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Yair Horn to the International Red Cross Committee took place east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The event was witnessed by an Anadolu correspondent who reported that the brigades also presented one of the three Israeli hostages with an hourglass inscribed with the words "Time is running out" in three languages, a message intended for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed in a statement that the hostages had been handed over to an Israeli force and Shin Bet unit inside Gaza. This exchange is part of a larger deal in which Hamas has so far released 19 Israelis in exchange for 766 Palestinians, including women and children, released from Israeli jails. Israel is set to release 369 Palestinian detainees as part of this ongoing agreement.

The exchange comes amid a ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on January 19, halting the conflict that has claimed more than 48,000 Palestinian lives, most of them women and children. The enclave has been left in ruins following what has been described as Israel's genocidal war.

In a related development, last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the region.