The two hostages, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were paraded on a stage in Gaza by masked Hamas men on Saturday morning.
A few hours later, the same procedure was repeated on a stage further north in Nuseirat, where three more people were handed over to the intermediary, the Red Cross.
Held for ten years
The three, all in their 20s, were Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen. They were abducted by Hamas during the massacre that took place at a music festival during the extremist group's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Omer Shem Tov blew kisses to the crowd and Eliya Cohen's family chanted "Eliya, Eliya, Eliya" before the two were taken into the Red Cross vehicle for further transport to Israel.
Avera Mengistu was born in Ethiopia but emigrated to Israel as a child with his family. He has been held captive by Hamas since 2014, when he crossed the border into Gaza on his own. His family burst into joyful singing when they saw him again after all these years.
Tal Shoham, who is also an Austrian citizen, was visiting his wife in the kibbutz Be'er in southern Israel when the kibbutz was stormed by Hamas in the October attacks in 2023. Shoham's wife and two small children were released in an early exchange later that year.
Provided wrong remains
The six hostages are the last living prisoners to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to avenge a "cruel transgression" by Hamas. On Friday, Hamas handed over the remains of several dead hostages, but in one case, the remains belonged to the wrong person. On Saturday morning, the relatives of the deceased woman Shiri Bibas announced that her remains had finally been handed over and identified as the correct ones.
On the Israeli side, it is claimed that these dead hostages were murdered, while Hamas claims that they were killed in Israeli airstrikes against Gaza.
Among the over 600 Palestinian prisoners to be released are more than 100 who have been sentenced to long prison terms in Israel and more than 400 who have been detained during the ongoing war.
Four next week
In a final step in the first phase of the ceasefire, the Palestinian extremist group Hamas will hand over the remains of four hostages next week. At that point, the group will have around 60 hostages left, with about half of them believed to be alive.
The negotiating situation for phase two is difficult, as the parties seem to be far apart. Hamas demands a continued Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to achieve a "sustainable" calm, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu insists that Hamas must be eliminated, and he is being pressured by more extreme government colleagues who want the war to resume.
Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas agreed on a ceasefire that began on January 19 and is scheduled to last for six weeks in the first phase.
During the six weeks, Hamas will release a total of 33 people held as hostages in Gaza, most of whom have been held since the Palestinian extremists' attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel will release a total of around 1,900 people. This includes some who have been sentenced to prison terms in Israel and some who have been detained during the war. The exact number to be released each time is unclear, but it will happen simultaneously with Hamas releasing hostages.
When phase one is over, around 60 Israelis will still be held as hostages by Hamas. The idea is that they will be released in a second phase of the ceasefire, which is intended to pave the way for an Israeli withdrawal and a more long-term and "sustainable" calm in the Gaza Strip. But the circumstances for this have not yet been negotiated.
