UPDATE - Al-Qassam Brigades hands over 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza to Red Cross

UPDATES MORE DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK

By Ikram Kouachi and Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, on Saturday handed over three Israeli hostages in two locations in the Gaza Strip to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, two Israeli hostages - Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas - were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The third Israeli captive, Samuel Siegel, who also holds US citizenship, was handed over to representatives of the Red Cross in the Gaza City seaport by the Al-Qassam Brigades.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the transfer took place amid significant presence of Palestinians.

Members of Al-Qassam Brigades were also heavily deployed in the area to oversee the transfer, the correspondent added.

The Red Cross vehicles, which arrived in Khan Younis and Gaza City earlier in the day, facilitated the handover as per the terms agreed for today’s exchange.

This marks the latest stage in the multi-phase swap deal between Hamas and Israel which has seen the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages and soldiers.

The exchange process has been taking place under international mediation efforts.