Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over on Saturday two Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah, southern Gaza, as part of the seventh exchange under the 19 January ceasefire deal, Anadolu Agency reports.
The two Israeli captives freed were Tal Shoham, an operative in the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and Avera Mengistu, who was captured in 2014 under mysterious circumstances when he entered Gaza.
Representatives of the Red cross signed an official transfer protocol with the Al-Qassam Brigades, ensuring the safe delivery of the captives.
After completing the process, the Red Cross team left the site with the Israeli captives.
In total, six Israeli hostages are being released on Saturday, in exchange for 602 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Four others will be set free in Nuseirat, central Gaza.