Hamas releases final Israeli hostage in exchange deal

Hamas has released the sixth and final Israeli hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, who had been held since 2015. This release follows the earlier return of five other hostages on Saturday, marking the end of the first phase of a ceasefire deal. The five hostages included three men abducted during the Nova music festival and another taken from his family. They were released in staged ceremonies, which have faced criticism from both Israel and the Red Cross. In exchange for the hostages, over 600 Palestinians will be freed from Israeli prisons. Negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, which would involve more hostages and a lasting agreement, are expected to be challenging.