3 freed Israeli hostages now in army custody; 183 Palestinian prisoners to be released

The Israeli military said that three hostages freed by Hamas on Saturday were now in the custody of its troops in Gaza.

"Three returning hostages have just been transferred to IDF (military) and ISA (domestic security agency) forces in the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

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Earlier, Hamas fighters handed over the three Israeli hostages as part of the fifth exchange under a fragile Gaza ceasefire, with 183 prisoners held by Israel due to be released later in the day.

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The new swap comes after US President Donald Trump proposed clearing out the Gaza Strip of its inhabitants and for the US to take over the Palestinian territory -- a plan that has sparked global uproar and been rejected by Hamas.

Jubilant crowds in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv cheered as they watched live footage of the three hostages, flanked by masked gunmen, brought on stage in Deir el-Balah before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The stage was festooned with a banner bearing images of destroyed Israeli armoured vehicles and a dejected-looking Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister.

Dozens of armed Hamas fighters had formed a cordon around the open area where the release took place, apparently to control crowds of onlookers.

The three hostages were identified as Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami.

(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)

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