Of the 17 hostages released on Saturday, 13 are Israeli and four are Thai, officials confirmed to Newsweek.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the hostages were freed after the Palestinian militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours, claiming that Israel had violated the terms of the temporary ceasefire deal, the Associated Press reported.
Hamas fighters seized around 240 hostages and killed 1,200 people in its surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza that has killed more than 13,000 Palestinians, the AP reported, citing the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
The hostages are being released as part of a deal that should see at least 50 captives freed during a four-day ceasefire, in exchange for 150 Palestinian women and children being held in Israeli jails and more humanitarian aid.
