Red Cross completes second phase of releases as part of Gaza ceasefire

The Red Cross said on Saturday it had completed the second phase of release operations as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement, transferring four Israeli hostages from the enclave and facilitating the release of detainees from Israeli centres.

The neutral, Swiss-based International Committee of the Red Cross said that it conducted pre-departure interviews with 200 people held in Israeli detention centres to assess their health and confirm their identities.

It transferred a total of 128 of these detainees to Gaza and the West Bank while local authorities handled the release and transfers for the remainder, the statement said.