The 12 hostages will have their identities verified and they will be given initial medical assessments before being taken to Israeli hospitals and reunited with their families.
Hamas handing a hostage over to the Red Cross
Reuters
Newly-released hostages being handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah
AFP via Getty Images
Monday saw 11 hostages released, which were made up of two mothers and nine children, including three-year-old twins.
Tuesday is the fifth day of a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, after both sides agreed to extend the pause for two more days past Monday - the final day of the original four-day truce.
Mediators have met in Qatar to try to extend the current ceasefire beyond Wednesday.
For the first time since the pause began, Israel and Hamas traded accusations of a serious violation with an exchange of fire between troops and militants in northern Gaza. But there was no indication that it would endanger the truce or the planned exchanges of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
Israel has vowed to resume the war with "full force" to destroy Hamas once it's clear that no more hostages will be freed under the deal.
A Palestinian mother welcoming home her son Ahmad Salaima - one of the prisoners released by Israel
AFP via Getty Images
The Biden administration has told Israel it must avoid "significant further displacement" and mass casualties among Palestinian civilians if it resumes the offensive, and that it must operate with more precision in southern Gaza than it has in the north, according to US officials.
Hamas and other militants are still holding about 160 hostages out of the 240 seized in their October 7 attack.
Israel has said it is willing to extend the ceasefire by one day for every 10 additional hostages that Hamas releases, according to the deal brokered by the Qatar, Egypt and the US. But Hamas is expected to make much higher demands for the release of captive soldiers.
