Gaza/Tel Aviv, 24 November 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The first group of 24 hostages from Israel held by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip have been released, following the start of a ceasefire.

They crossed the border into Egypt on Friday, according to a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva.

The ICRC provided four vehicles that transported the hostages, who were accompanied by a doctor and seven ICRC workers.

The release followed an agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas.

According to Qatar, which mediated the ceasefire and hostage exchange with others, the released include 13 Israelis, 10 Thai citizens and one citizen of the Philippines.

Israeli television said most of the hostages came from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

In return, three Palestinian prisoners are to be released from Israeli prisons for each hostage. According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Commission, 24 women and 15 young people are involved. The oldest is 19 years old.

Before the planned release, prisoners from Damun Prison were transferred to Ofer Prison between Jerusalem and Ramallah on Friday, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Prison Authority confirmed. The prisoners are to be released near their homes in the West Bank or East Jerusalem.

Photo: EPA