Hamas released two hostages from Gaza on Saturday (February 22) in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39, released in a handover in Rafah, are two of six hostages expected to be released on Saturday.
The remaining four are Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, Omer Wenkert, 23 and Hisham Al-Sayed, 36.
Shoham, Cohen, Tov, and Wenkert were seized by Hamas gunmen during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Mengistu and Al-Sayed have been held by Hamas since they entered Gaza separately under unexplained circumstances around a decade ago.
They are the last living hostages from a group of 33 due to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19.
In return, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in its jails in the latest stage of an exchange that has largely held.