Gaza strip: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced the commencement of the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip as part of a ceasefire agreement. The Israeli army confirmed via the US social media platform X that seven hostages had been released and were being escorted to Israel by the army and Shin Bet security agency forces.

According to Anadolu Agency, the ICRC teams received seven hostages. The remaining 13 Israeli hostages are scheduled for release at 10 pm local time (0700GMT) from the central Gaza Strip, the channel reported.

The Israeli I24 News Channel reported that the released hostages include Eitan Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Omri Miran, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, and Alon Ohel, who are en route to Israel.

US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had agreed to the initial phase of a 20-point ceasefire plan. This included the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The first phase commenced on Friday.

The second phase of the plan involves the establishment of a new governing body in Gaza, excluding Hamas, the deployment of a multinational force, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, predominantly women and children, rendering the region largely uninhabitable.