The release of the three men was the fifth in a staggered hostage-for-prisoner exchange laid out in a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel.

The three men all appeared thin, weak and pale, and in worse condition than the 18 hostages who had previously been freed under the truce.

Three more Israeli hostages were freed on Saturday in the fifth round of exchanges between Israel and Hamas, as uncertainty looms over the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire agreement as well as the enclave’s long-term future.