Hostage release begins in Gaza

The Israeli government has announced that some of the living hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip have been released and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Israeli military says seven hostages have been freed on Monday. This follows a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Friday under a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. More hostages are expected to be released later in the day.

The freed hostages will later be reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, Trump is visiting the region on Monday. He is set to meet the hostages' families at the Israeli parliament and deliver a speech there.

On his way to the Middle East, Trump said the war is over and the ceasefire is going to hold.

Under the first phase of the deal, Hamas is required to release all 48 hostages within 72 hours of the start of the ceasefire, which runs until noon on Monday. But many of them are presumed dead. The return of all their remains may take time.

The focus is now on whether the plan will proceed as agreed. Hamas has also indicated that it is against some aspects of the plan's later phases. They include governance of the Gaza Strip and disarmament of the group.

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