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Thirteen Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7 have been handed to the Red Cross, according to the Israeli prime minister's office, as part of a deal struck between Israel and the militant group.
A group of 12 Thai nationals were also released, according to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
In all, 50 captives are set to be freed during a four-day truce.
Israel is set to free 150 Palestinians over the next four days, as part of the deal, with 39 of those to be freed on Friday.
The first exchange on Friday afternoon was set to include a swap of the 39 Palestinian prisoners — 24 women, including some convicted of attempted murder for attacks on Israeli forces, and 15 teenagers jailed for offenses like throwing stones — for 13 Israeli hostages, Palestinian authorities said.
Just before that exchange was set to happen, the Thai Prime Minister said in a tweet that 12 Thai nationals were also released.
An Israeli official confirmed that the Thai captives left Gaza and were en-route to a hospital in Israel.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss the releases with the media.
The Israeli group is the first to be released through a deal between the two sides, brokered in part by Qatar, that was finalised after weeks of tense negotiations and what represents the first major diplomatic breakthrough of the conflict.
The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the conflict, which has flattened vast swaths of Gaza, fuelled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East.
Israel, however, has said it is determined to resume its massive offensive once the cease-fire ends.
