Alex Forster
Reporting from Jerusalem

Thirty-three hostages are expected to be received by seven hospitals in Israel over the next few weeks. Five in central Israel and two in southern Israel (these two medical facilities nearer the Gaza Strip will be used if the condition of the hostages requires urgent attention). It is expected some hostages returned will be dead.

Like what's happened today, Hamas will hand over hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza. They will then be escorted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to three dedicated locations established in Kerem Shalom, Re'im and Erez in Israel, and then via vehicle or helicopter to hospitals.

At a briefing earlier in Jerusalem, Prof Hagai Levine, from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, detailed some of the physical and psychological effects the hostages may be experiencing after their captivity in "hell-like" conditions.

Informed in part by the condition of previous hostages when they are returned, harm to the health of captives can be “multi-dimensional and multi-systemic," he said. Damage to cardiovascular, respiratory and immune systems, infectious diseases, bodyweight loss, vitamin deficiency and evidence of sexual assault have all been presented in previous cases of those kept in captivity in Gaza.

Israeli health systems are well-prepared, he added.

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, in Istanbul

Hamas aimed to assert its dominance in Gaza, sending a clear message that it is the ruling authority and will determine the post-war reality.

The scene in Al-Saraya Square in Gaza City symbolised the next phase.

It served as an internal message to opposition groups in Gaza, who have voiced anger over the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.

The display of weapons was meant to rally supporters while warning opponents of the potential consequences of challenging Hamas’s rule.

It was also a message to Hamas’s long-standing rival, the Fatah movement, which has plans to re-enter Gaza through border crossings or reconstruction efforts: Gaza remains firmly under Hamas’s control.

This scene reveals only half the truth. The other half is captured in hundreds of videos and photos shared by Gazans, showing the widespread destruction that has devastated large parts of their towns villages and cities.

As we've reported, the three hostages - Doron Steinbrecher, 31, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, and 24-year-old Romi Gonen - were released by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza City.

You can watch the moment below.

The Red Cross then handed them to the Israeli military, who took them into Israeli territory.

While we were following the hostage transfer just now, outgoing US President Joe Biden was speaking to the media. He says today's ceasefire deal was the one he proposed in May and endorsed by the UN.

The "region has been fundamentally transformed," he says.

"After so much pain, death and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent."

Biden says Hamas has been badly weakened by Israel and Hezbollah's leadership has been destroyed.

"It now falls to the next administration to implement this deal," Biden adds.

We've got footage of the moment family and friends of Emily Damari begin cheering and chanting her name, after hearing news the British-Israeli has been freed.

She's been held captive in Gaza since the 7 October attacks. She'd been shot in the hand and injured by shrapnel in the attack; her dog was shot and killed.

The IDF has just shared a video that shows the moment the mothers of the Israeli hostages saw their daughters brought back into Israel after 15 months of being held captive.

The mothers of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher were earlier invited by the IDF to Re'im base, near the Gaza Strip.

Image source, IDF

Israel's military spokesman Daniel Hagari, who's also just confirmed that the hostages are now back inside Israeli territory, says the three women are being brought to a facility near the border for an initial check-up before being taken to hospital.

Hagari says during a press conference that the now-former hostages - Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher - "are now in safe hands".

"They are in our hands. They are coming home," he says.

Just moments ago, while the hostage release was happening in Gaza, live footage outside Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank showed several Red Cross coaches entering the prison grounds to pick up Palestinian prisoners.

It is expected that 90 prisoners will be freed from Israeli prisons today, in exchange for the three Israeli hostages.

Image source, Reuters

Israel's military says the three hostages have crossed into Israeli territory.

"A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the released hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory," the IDF says in a statement.

"The released hostages are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment."

We've just received this picture from Reuters news agency, which shows Hamas militants handing over hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As we've reported, the Red Cross has now handed the hostages to the Israeli military.

Image source, Reuters

The Israeli government has now officially confirmed the names of the three hostages who have just been handed over to Red Cross workers from Hamas.

A reminder, earlier, it was only Hamas who had released the names of the hostages - Romi Gonen, 24; Doron Steinbrecher, 31; and Emily Damari, 28.

It adds in the statement: "The Israeli government embraces the three returnees. Their families have been informed by the relevant authorities that they have joined our forces.

"The government, together with all security agencies, will accompany them and their families."

As our colleague in Jerusalem reported moments ago, a chaotic scene was carried on live TV when the Israeli hostages were transferred from Hamas over to the Red Cross.

We're now getting more footage from inside Gaza City where the exchange took place, which shows hooded Hamas gunman standing guard on top of the Red Cross vehicles that are holding the three women.

An update now from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) - Israel's military - about the hostages.

In a statement on X, the IDF says:

"The three returnees are now being escorted by an elite IDF unit and Shin Bet security force on their way back to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical evaluation.

"IDF commanders and soldiers salute and embrace the returnees on their way to Israel."

Three female hostages, held by Hamas for the last 15 months, have been released.

The handover to Red Cross workers was met with cheers by Israelis watching the news on a large public screen in Tel Aviv.

Here's that moment:

Image source, Family handout

We've just brought you a flurry of updates, all confirming that three Israeli hostages have now been handed over from Hamas to the Red Cross.

Earlier, the militant group announced that three women - Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbreche - would be the first returned in this first phase of the ceasefire deal. More hostages will be exchanged at later stages in the truce.

Here's what we know about these three women:

• Doron Steinbrecher, 31, a veterinary nurse, was in her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked
• Emily Damari, 28, who holds dual British-Israeli nationality, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza
• Romi Gonen, 24, was ambushed as she tried to escape from the Supernova Festival

Here's everything we know about the three of them.

Joel Gunter
Reporting from Jerusalem

Live TV coverage from Gaza shows a chaotic scene as crowds surround what appear to be the vehicles transporting the three Israeli hostages to the handover point with the Red Cross.

The white vehicles were surrounded by Hamas fighters, who struggled to prevent people massing around the cars.

At one point, the door of one of the vans was pulled open to reveal what appeared to be three women, who were then spirited out of the van.

According to the plan for the release of the three hostages - Romi Gonen, 24, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Emily Damari, 28, a British citizen - Hamas will hand them over to the Red Cross, which will then hand them on to the Israeli military to be taken out of the Gaza Strip.

A bit more for you now on the breaking news that three Israeli hostages have been handed over to Red Cross officials in the last few minutes.

AFP news agency has the following statement from what it describes as a senior Hamas official:

"The three women hostages were officially handed over to the Red Cross at Al-Saraya Square in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood in western Gaza City.

"This occurred after a member of the Red Cross team met with them and ensured their well-being."

• For context: We were told earlier that Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen would be the first hostages returned to Israel from Hamas. Later, we're expecting 90 Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons in return.

We've just had confirmation of the hostage handover through from the Israeli military.

The Red Cross says that the three Israeli hostages were transferred to them and are on their way toward IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli hostages have now been handed over to Red Cross workers by Hamas in Gaza.

We'll bring you more on this shortly.

While Israel waits for Hamas to deliver the first of 33 hostages in Gaza, we can bring you some pictures from the occupied West Bank, where several Israeli police mini-buses have been parked outside Ofer prison in the last couple of hours.

As a reminder, the ceasefire agreed by Israel and Hamas requires the Israeli government to release hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons over the next six weeks - in return for its citizens.

While we haven't had the ratio confirmed by Israel, Hamas is suggesting the deal states that for every Israeli hostage freed, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be too.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters