The hostage exchange is the second since the current ceasefire agreement. It is expected that by the end of the first phase of the deal's completion, 33 Israeli hostages will have been freed in exchange for the release of around 1,900 Palestinian detainees.

The hostages were released in a staged handover that saw them surrounded by Hamas gunmen and crowds of civilians.

Israelis celebrated on Saturday the release of four Israeli soldiers held hostages in Gaza for the past 15 months, with scenes of jubilation in Tel Aviv where crowds gathered in a public square to watch the release broadcast live on screens.