Hamas releases six hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire deal

Six Israeli hostages were released by Hamas on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, marking the release of all living hostages in the first phase of the deal. The bodies of four dead hostages are expected to be returned to Israel on Thursday. Four of the released hostages were kidnapped on October 7 and held for 505 days, while two others were held for over a decade. Israel released 600 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, including 445 detained since October 8 and roughly 100 serving life sentences for murdering Israelis. The 42-day ceasefire of the first phase will end next Saturday, and negotiations for the second phase are ongoing. White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has been holding talks with Israeli and Qatari officials, but no agreement has been reached on the second phase. Hamas is willing to release all remaining hostages if an agreement is reached on the second phase, which they say must include the end of the war, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of all Palestinian prisoners. Israel, on the other hand, demands that any agreement lead to the end of Hamas' control of Gaza and the departure of its leaders to exile. Witkoff expressed hope that the goodwill from phase one will carry over into phase two, but acknowledged that it will be more difficult to reach an agreement. Despite the challenges, Witkoff believes that progress is being made in the conversations and hopes for a successful outcome.