Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed after Gaza ceasefire extended

ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine reports on the latest developments, following the extension of a truce between Israel and Hamas

• A four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was due to expire on Thursday morning, has been extended by another 24 hours.

• Hamas has freed a further eight hostages to Israel, following the announcement, including a 21-year-old woman who was previously used by the proscribed terror group in a hostage video.

• More than 13,300 Palestinians have died since the start of the war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The figure includes 6,150 children and 4,000 women.

• At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas' attack on October 7.

Israel says eight people who were being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip have now been released, while it has freed 30 Palestinian detainees, following the extension of a temporary ceasefire.

Proscribed terror group Hamas released six hostages to the Red Cross charity on Thursday evening, having earlier freed two women. All eight have now arrived back in Israel, according to the office of the country's prime minister.

Israel's prison service said it had released 30 Palestinians from jail but no there were no further immediate details.

The development comes after the opposing sides agreed to extend a temporary ceasefire by another day until Friday morning.

Officials in Qatar and Egypt are pushing for the pause in fighting to be extended by a further two days.

Israel's army said in a statement on Thursday that the Red Cross charity had transferred two female hostages to its forces, before they were moved to an Israeli military base.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed one of the women to be 21-year-old Mia Schem, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Mia Schem is free.

"I share this great joy with her family and all French people."

The other released hostage has been named as 40-year-old Amit Soussana.

Ms Schem's mother issued an impassioned plea last month for Hamas to release her daughter, after the group released a hostage video of her.

At the time, Ms Schem was seen with a metal brace on her arm, which had a long, fresh scar, and video of her being reunited with her family on Thursday showed the same arm appearing to remain heavily bandaged.

Watch the moment freed Hamas hostage Mia Schem is reunited with her family

Word of the ceasefire extension came just as it was due to expire at 7am (5am GMT) on Thursday.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the truce was being extended under the same terms as in the past, with Hamas freeing 10 Israeli hostages per day in exchange for Israel's release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, Egyptian and Qatari negotiators are working to add two more days to the ceasefire to allow more aid into the strip and facilitate further releases, according to Egypt's State Information Service.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials on his third visit to the region since the start of the war, said he hoped the ceasefire could be extended and more hostages could be released.

"This process is producing results. It's important, and we hope that it can continue," he said.

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Mr Netanyahu, however, is facing internal pressure from his government to resume the war until Hamas is destroyed.

With Thursday's releases, a total of 81 Israelis, including dual nationals, have been freed during the truce.

Another 24 hostages - 23 Thais and one Filipino - have also been freed, including several men.

In total, Israel has released 210 Palestinians as part of the ceasefire arrangement.

Hamas and other Palestinian militants killed at least 1,200 people during a surprise attack into southern Israel on October 7.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have also been killed by Israeli airstrikes and its ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.