Let's take you back to the scene when the Israeli hostages released earlier today were reunited with their families - a moment that was met with long-awaited hugs and tears.

In the clip, you can see Doron Steinbrecher, British-Israeli Emily Damari, and Romi Gonen being handed to Red Cross workers in Gaza City, before they're returned to Israeli authorities.

In exchange for each of these hostages, Hamas says 30 Palestinian prisoners are supposed be released from Israeli jails - that means 90 Palestinians are expected to be freed, but we've yet to receive confirmation that that exchange has taken place.

As our colleague Jon Donnison just reported from the West Bank, we are still waiting for the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners due to be freed from Israel's Ofer prison.

Al Jazeera, quoting sources, now says that teams from the Red Cross are still examining the prisoners who are scheduled for release.

The Red Cross was also involved in the release of the Israeli hostages, taking them from Hamas control in Gaza City to the Israeli military, from where they went to Israel.

As a reminder, Hamas says 30 prisoners should be released for every Israeli hostage freed.

Jon Donnison
Reporting from Beitunia

Image source, Getty Images

The families of 90 Palestinian prisoners are waiting anxiously in the occupied West Bank for them to be released from Israeli jails as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Hundreds have packed into the town square in Beitunia, about one mile (1.6km) up the road from Israel's Ofer prison, waving Palestinian flags and chanting.

Amid an atmosphere of excitement and nervous anticipation Diash Dara was waiting for her sister Hadil.

The 32-year-old university administrative worker has been detained without charge for seven months.

"I'm happy, I think, confused a little bit because of what happened in Gaza," Diash tells me.

"The most important thing is that they stopped the war in Gaza. Even if she wasn't released today, we [would] be ok with it. But at least the war has been ended."

The majority of the 90 Palestinian prisoners expected to be released on Sunday are women, as well as a number of children.

Around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Gaza are due to be released in the first phase of the deal in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages - three of whom were released earlier.

Image source, EPA

As we've been reporting, three Israeli women hostages who were being held by Hamas in Gaza have now been returned to Israel.

About 251 hostages were seized when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. It is still holding 91 captive, although Israel believes that only 60 are still alive.

Thirty three of the hostages are to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire, with the first three getting freed today.

The IDF said earlier that throughout the first phase of the ceasefire (expected to last 42 days), three to four hostages will be released each week.

A Hamas official later told AFP news agency that the next hostage-prisoner swap will take place on Saturday 25 January.

The remaining hostages are to be released during the second phase of the truce.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have shared more footage of the three hostages freed today as they reunited with their families at Sheba hospital in Tel Aviv.

In the video below, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher can be seen hugging and speaking with their friends and extended family:

Image source, Reuters

We are now hearing from Prof Itai Pessach, the director of the children's hospital at Sheba hospital in Tel Aviv.

He confirms that the hostages are all in "stable condition", which he says now allows them to focus on the most important: reuniting with their families.

We will continue to monitor their clinical condition, Pessach says, noting that this will take a few more days.

"This is not the first time we've received hostages here," the doctor notes, highlighting how it's a "very emotional time here" and all those involved "feel privileged" to treat these hostages.

Image source, Reuters

We're now getting an update on the condition of the three hostages from representatives at the hospital in Tel Aviv where they arrived earlier.

The Deputy Director General of Health begins by saying that the entire staff at the Sheba hospital was "overjoyed" at the arrival of Doron Steinbrecher, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, and Romi Gonen.

Dr Sefi Mendelovich explains that preparing treatment for the hostages required co-operation from a large team and stresses that they will provide "comprehensive, compassionate care" for the women.

"We are ready to treat anything," says Mendelovich.

He outlines that this is a complex situation to treat, both emotionally and physically, and implores the public and the media to "respect their privacy" at this difficult time.

Lucy Manning
Special correspondent, reporting from north London

Emily Damari’s cousin, Tony Moss, has described his "huge relief" at her release, but says Sunday was "just the beginning – we need to get the other hostages out".

Speaking to me from an event in Golders Green, north London, where campaigners handed out flyers calling for the release of the other hostages, Moss says he "broke down in tears" after seeing pictures of Emily with her mother, Amanda.

"We’re just overjoyed lost for words… [we] didn’t think it was going to happen, and that she’d be first out," he says.

"There’s been an anxiety for 471 days, a huge anxiety that we were all carrying around with us and we can let that go now but only in respect of Emily."

Moss says he only celebrated once Emily was "back over the border and in the hands of her mother".

"You saw how fragile it was when they were in Gaza surrounded by Hamas terrorists and mobs," he says. "Anything could’ve happened."

Image source, Reuters

As we've reported, we're still waiting for Israel to release 90 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three Israeli hostages freed earlier today.

The prisoners will be released from Israel's Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank, where some families are waiting for their relatives.

In the nearby West Bank town of Beitunia, crowds are waiting for the prisoners, while some locals have started fires to create roadblocks.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

Image source, Reuters

As Palestinians poured onto the streets of Gaza to celebrate the ceasefire, moments of joy faded for many as they returned to their homes to be met by destruction.

In Jabalia, a town in northern Gaza that was home to the largest refugee camp in the strip, pictures and videos shared by residents revealed entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.

Returning to the al-Faluja area of Jabalia, Duaa al-Khalidi tells BBC News: "I survived with my two daughters - we came out from under the rubble of our house.

"Here, beneath the debris, the bodies of my husband, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law have remained buried since 9 October."

The 28-year-old mother of two continues: "I want nothing but their bodies so I can bury them with dignity."

Jabalia camp, once home to over 250,000 Palestinians, became the site of the largest and most violent Israeli military operation during the war, with around 4,000 Palestinians killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

• Read our full story on what Gazans are returning to on day one of the ceasefire

Image source, Reuters

Lucy Williamson
Middle East correspondent, reporting from the Sheba hospital in Tel Aviv

Outside Sheba hospital, a small group of patients and staff gathered in the darkness to welcome the hostages home.

There were cheers and dancing as the convoy passed, the vehicles disappearing swiftly behind the screens set up at the hospital entrance - a gesture of privacy to hostages that have spent the past 15 months in captivity, and who now face the long journey of recovery back home.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Earlier, we also heard from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who welcomed the release of the Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari - congratulating the three women "on your homecoming".

"This moment was achieved thanks to the sacrifice and fighting of our heroic fighters - the heroes of Israel," Netanyahu writes on X. "I promise: We will bring everyone home!"

We've just seen footage of an Israeli military helicopter, carrying the released hostages, landing at Sheba hospital in Tel Aviv.

Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari, and Romi Gonen will received planned treatment as part of their release from 15 months of captivity in Gaza.

The Israeli military confirmed their arrival, saying: "The three released hostages, together with their mothers, just landed at a hospital, where they will be reunited with the rest of their families and receive medical treatment.

"The IDF, ISA, the Mossad, and Israeli health authorities are ready to continue receiving additional hostages and are operating to bring home all the hostages."

Footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shows the moment the three hostages were handed over by the Red Cross, in Israel.

Doron Steinbrecher, 31, British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, and 24-year-old Romi Gonen, had been held by Hamas for the last 15 months.

Image source, Family handout

We're now hearing from the family of 31-year-old veterinary nurse Doron Steinbrecher, who was released from 15 months of captivity in Gaza earlier today.

"After an unbearable 471 days, our beloved Dodo has finally returned to our arms," the family say in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.

"We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and accompanied us along this journey."

"Our heroic Dodo, who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, begins her rehabilitation journey today," they add.

"We will continue to stand with all the families and do everything in our power until all of their loved ones return home.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​"

The Israeli military has just shared pictures of the released hostages with their mothers:

Image source, IDF

Image source, IDF

Image source, IDF

The Israeli military has just said the three released hostages - Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, and Romi Gonen - are now travelling to an Israeli hospital in a helicopter for treatment.

The women are travelling with their mothers, and will be reunited with other family members at the hospital.

The treatment was a planned part of their release from 15 months being held hostage in Gaza.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

It's just gone 18:00 here in London and 20:00 in Tel Aviv, and in the last few hours the first three hostages of the 33 expected to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire have been freed.

If you're only just joining us, here's a quick recap of what's happened this afternoon:

• Three Israeli women hostages held by Hamas have now been handed over to Israeli authorities and are back inside Israel
• Doron Steinbrecher, 31, Emily Damari, 28, and Romi Gonen, 24, have been brought to a facility for an initial medical check-up, the IDF says
• The transfer took place in western Gaza City between Red Cross workers and Hamas earlier this afternoon - it was a chaotic scene, as our reporter explained
• The Israeli government has welcomed the news, saying the "families have been informed by the relevant authorities that they have joined our forces"
• Friends and family members watching the hostages' dramatic return reacted by chanting their names and cheering
• Simultaneously, several Red Cross coaches have begun entering the prison grounds in the occupied West Bank to pick up Palestinian prisoners - it's expected that 90 prisoners will be freed from prisons there today, in exchange for the three Israeli hostages

Image source, Getty Images

Crowds have been gathering around Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank as the expected release of 90 Palestinian prisoners is due any moment now.

Earlier, Red Cross teams were seen arriving at the prison.

Families of those who had been detained packed into a town square close to the detention centre, while others stood on a hill overlooking the prison.

There were also reports of Israeli far-right protesters, and pictures show a man being held by Israeli police.

As a reminder, Egypt's foreign ministry said yesterday 1,890 Palestinian prisoners will be released in the first stage of the ceasefire, in exchange for the return of 33 Israeli hostages captured by Hamas.

Image source, EPA

Lucy Manning
Special correspondent

We can now bring you more images from Emily Damari's video call with her family, after earlier showing her reunited with her mother.

The latest images from the call show Emily - who was held hostage in Gaza for 15 months - with a bandaged hand and two missing fingers, but seemingly in good spirits.

• As our colleague Lucy Manning reported earlier, Emily was shot in the hand and dragged into Gaza from her home in southern Israel during the 7 October attack