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Hamas released two Israeli hostages on Saturday, when the fourth exchange of a fragile ceasefire began in Gaza.
A six -week truce The first stage Among a complex deal of three stages was crushed by the United States -led brokers who have sparked hopes for ending the 15 -month war in Gaza, which has become the most combat round in the history of the Israeli -Palestinian conflict.
The government of Israel said that the two men – Yarden Pepas and Offer Kalderon – have been handed over to its forces in Gaza, which they will get out of the pocket.
The third Israeli hostage will be released. On the other hand, Israel is scheduled to return to 183 Palestinian prisoners for free later on Saturday.
In another teacher in the ceasefire for two weeks, a group of Palestinians is expected to leave Gaza later on Saturday through Rafah's crossing point to Egypt, which has been closed since the Israeli forces took control of this during their attack in the attack in the pocket last May. .
The war arose from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, where the militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials and seized 250 hostages.
Israel responded with the devastating assault, which killed more than 47,000 people, according to Palestinian officials, reduced most Gaza to ruins and a humanitarian catastrophe was fed in the pocket.
About 100 hostages were released during the only truce in the war in late 2023, while a handful was rescued by the Israeli forces. Israel has also recovered the bodies of many hostages.
In total, Hamas is scheduled to launch 33 hostages, compared to about 1900 Palestinian prisoners under the first stage of the deal. Israeli officials said earlier this week that Hamas had informed her that eight out of 33 – among women, children, patients and the elderly – died.
During the second stage – which Israel and Hamas are scheduled to start negotiating in the coming days – Hamas aims to launch all the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, withdrawing the full Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent end to the war.
The third and final stage will include the return of the remaining bodies of the hostages who died and the rebuilding of Gaza.
