(MENAFN- IANS) Jerusalem, Oct 13 (IANS) The Red Cross has taken custody of the first group of hostages released by Hamas, and they are making their way to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet forces in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Monday.

The seven include Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor and Guy Gilboa-Dallal.

"According to the information received from the Red Cross now, seven hostages have been handed over to them, and they are making their way to IDF and Shin Bet forces in the Gaza Strip," the IDF statement read.

The Israeli Air Force announced that it has completed its preparations to receive hostages returning from Gaza to Israel.

The second group of hostages will be released at 10:00 a.m. (local time).

Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis are gathered at the Nova site for special holiday prayer services. This is the same site where Hamas massacred several Israelis and took hostage hundreds on October 7, 2023.

Earlier in the day, Hamas announced that it would release 20 "living Israeli captives" in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.

"The agreement reached is the fruit of the steadfastness of our people and the resilience of its resistance fighters, and we announce our commitment to the agreement reached and the related timelines as long as the occupation adheres to it," Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.

"The occupation could have returned most of its captives alive many months ago, but it continued to stall," it added.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Chief of Staff of the IDF, held an assessment with top officers at the military's headquarters for hostages and missing persons during the release of seven hostages from Hamas captivity via the Red Cross.

Zamir "expressed his appreciation to all IDF bodies for their thorough preparations and emphasised the importance of maintaining a high level of readiness and alertness," a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces said.

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