Eight hostages − three Israelis and five Thai nationals − were returned to Israel on Thursday after spending 482 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. They were freed in an at-times chaotic handover in connection with a weeks-long ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap between Israel and the militant group aimed at ending 15 months of fighting.

The horrific suffering of five Thai farm workers held by Palestinian Hamas militants ended with an emotional exchange on Thursday, alongside three released Israeli hostages, after intense diplomatic efforts that at times frayed relations between Bangkok and Jerusalem.

Hamas is set to free three more Israeli hostages as well as five Thai captives, and Israel is to release another 110 Palestinian prisoners, in the third such exchange since a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold earlier this month.

Israel says a Hamas list shows that eight of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire are dead.

Hamas released four Israeli hostages in Gaza early Saturday in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners to be released later in the day. It was the second release to occur as part of the ceasefire agreement that began last weekend. Israel followed with the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners.

A female Israeli soldier is released as the next hostage-prisoner exchange gets underway amid the ceasefire in Gaza.

Delayed by a dispute over the release of a specific hostage, an agreement has been reached to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.

Israeli troops have pulled back to the edges of Gaza, the first hostages have been released and many Palestinians have returned to what remains of their homes in the first few days of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

Israel delayed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners for several hours after broadcast images showed crowds jostling and cheering in Gaza as Israeli and Thai hostages were handed over to the Red Cross earlier that day.

Israeli women and an 80-year-old male hostage, along with 5 Thai nationals, were released in Gaza, but Israel delayed its part of the exchange, accusing Hamas of "shocking scenes" at one handover.