The organization representing families of hostages held in the Gaza strip is celebrating the news that three male hostages would be released Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Israel began allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return on Monday to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas. The U.

Hamas will release three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man, as well as five Thai nationals during the next hostage release set for Thursday, Israel and Hamas said