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Hello, I'm Katya Adler, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC.
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Hello and welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service with me, Sean Lake coming to you live from London.
Three Israeli hostages were released by Hamas from captivity in Gaza Saturday morning into the hands of the Red Cross.
And as the three men looking gaunt were brought out onto a stage escorted by Hamas militants,
the crowd chanted alu Akbar, God is great.
These latest releases bring to 16 the number of Israelis freed so far, as well as five ties.
In this, the first stage of the ceasefire with Hamas, 183 detained Palestinians have also been freed by Israel.
The BBC's Middle east correspondent, Yolande Nell has been watching Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.
She joins us now live.
Remind us
if you can about who these three are and what we know about their condition
and indeed what reaction there's been from the Israeli authorities to their release.
Yolande?
Yeah, so these three men are all civilians.