The first three Israeli hostages were handed over by Hamas members hours after the Gaza ceasefire deal came into force after initial delays.

The country's defence forces confirmed that the hostages have returned to Israel.

According to reports, Red Cross transferred the hostages to Israeli military forces.

IDF posted on X: "The 3 released hostages have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their mothers."

Sharing further updates, the military force said: "IDF officers from the Manpower Directorate and IDF medical officials are accompanying the released hostages during an initial medical assessment."

The three released hostages were identified as Romi Gonen, 24; Doron Steinbrecher, 31; and Emily Damari, 28.

They were held by Hamas for 471 days.

According to reports, 33 hostages, included the three released on Sunday, will be freed by Hamas during the initial 42-day truce.

Earlier,  the Gaza ceasefire deal finally came into effect on Sunday after the Hamas group shared the names of the three hostages with Israeli officials.

This agreement comes after months of intense negotiations carried out by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with the support of the United States.

The overall toll in the Israel-Hamas war is more than 46,000 with hundreds of thousands getting displaced and struggling to survive in makeshift shelters.

In Israel, the return of the hostages is expected to ease public anger against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, who have faced severe criticism for the October 7 security failure that led to the deadliest single day in Israel's history.

The agreement marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the conflict, coming after Israel's successful assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.