Hamas has announced the release of six living Israeli hostages on Saturday, along with the bodies of four others on Thursday. This unexpected move is believed to be linked to Israel allowing mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza, which has been severely affected by the conflict.
The release of the six hostages marks the completion of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between the two sides. However, negotiations for the second phase, which involves the release of dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal, are yet to take place.
