Eight hostages − three Israelis and five Thai nationals − were returned to Israel on Thursday after spending 482 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. They were freed in an at-times chaotic handover in connection with a weeks-long ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap between Israel and the militant group aimed at ending 15 months of fighting.

A crowd greets Islamic Jihad and Hamas fighters as they arrive for the hand-over of Ihostages to the Red Cross in the south Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis,