Some 251 hostages were taken by Hamas when it attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people.
The attack triggered a war which has devastated Gaza. Israel’s 15-month military offensive killed 47,460 Palestinians in the territory, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were taken by Hamas from Nir Oz, while Keith Siegel was taken from Kfar Aza.
Mr Bibas’ wife Shiri, and their two children, Ariel, now five, and Kfir, now two, were also taken captive. Their fate is unknown.
Their release will bring the number of hostages freed under the ceasefire deal do far to 18.
Four hundred Palestinian prisoners – ranging from those serving long sentences for bombings and other attacks to teenagers held without charge – have so far been freed in exchange.
Most have returned to the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, while many of the most serious offenders have been deported.
