TEL AVIV — Hamas on Monday began releasing the final Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza, a major milestone in the efforts to end the devastating two years of war in the Palestinian territory.

Hamas initially handed over seven of the 20 living hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which in turn presented them to the Israeli military, according to a statement by the military. The remaining 13 hostages were expected to be released shortly.

The military is flying the hostages by helicopter from southern Israel to hospitals in the Tel Aviv area. All the hostages are men, mostly in their 20s and 30s.

The hostage handover ignited celebrations in Israel. Tens of thousands gathered in Hostages Square, the plaza in Tel Aviv that has been the site of vigils throughout the wa

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