Israel has decried the hostage release ceremony as “despicable and cynical” after one of the captives was forced to hold an hourglass that read “time is running out”. Condemning the spectacle, Isaac Herzog, Israel’s president, said that the country will “do everything in its power” to free the rest of the captives held in Gaza.

Palestinian militants released three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian inmates freed by Israel, completing the latest swap despite fears the Gaza truce deal was near collapse.

Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages on Saturday, parading them before a crowd in the southern Gaza Strip before handing them over to the Red Cross as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.