Gaza truce: Hamas frees three more Israeli hostages

They were held in captivity for 484 days.

Ofer Calderon, 54, and Yarden Bibas, 35, were first released to the International Red Cross representatives in south Gaza’s Khan Younis area.

Later, Keith Siegel, 65, was handed over at the Gaza City port.

Unlike Thursday when chaos broke out during the release of three Israeli and five Thai hostages, Saturday's action was performed in a more controlled manner.

The terror group set up stages at both locations, with Calderon and Bibas freed soon after 8:30 a.m. and Siegel after 10 a.m, reported The Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel President Isaac Herzog welcomed the release of the three hostages.

He wrote on X: "Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel are finally home. How we have worried, and awaited their return."

He further said: " Each one deserves the time to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives, and every one of the hostages deserves to come home soon. We will not rest nor be silent until we return all our sisters and brothers from the hell of captivity in Gaza - until the last one!"

According to reports, Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners as per the truce deal.

The prisoners were transferred from the Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and Ketziot prison in southern Israel ahead of their release, a spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service told BBC.

Pausing the conflict, Hamas and Israel reached a slender 42-day truce which became operative on January 19.