The release follows the return of hostage Shiri Bibas' remains, after the wrong body was initially handed over Hamas freed six Israeli hostages on Saturday, with hundreds of Palestinian prisoners expected to be released in exchange under a fragile Gaza truce that is nearing the end of its first phase.

The Israeli military says the sixth and final hostage was released by Hamas in the latest exchange on Saturday and has arrived back in Israel even as heightened tensions clouded the future of the fragile ceasefire deal.

JERUSALEM — The remains of a mother of two young boys who were taken to Gaza together at the start of the Israel-Hamas war have been returned to Israel, bringing the total closer to the 33 hostages supposed to be released under the ceasefire that started last month.