Hamas on Saturday released six Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, signaling readiness for the next phase of a shaky ceasefire.

Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham were handed to the Red Cross and eventually to Israel in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. Both were taken on an Israeli Air Force helicopter to the hospital to be reunited with their families and to undergo medical treatment, according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Three others — Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen — were released in central Gaza, first handed to the Red Cross and then over to Israel. They were accompanied by IDF special forces and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA). Israel's military

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