GAZA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Armed members of al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, were deployed Saturday in the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip in preparation to hand over three Israeli hostages.

The Palestinian militants from Hamas and the PIJ were expected to deliver the Israeli hostages to the International Committee of Red Cross in Khan Younis, Xinhua correspondent in Gaza learned.

The hostage handover came in the sixth batch of the first phase of the ceasefire, which took effect on Jan. 19.

As part of the deal, Israel is set to release 369 Palestinian detainees on Saturday, according to the Hamas-linked Prisoners' Information Office.

The office confirmed that among those to be freed are 36 individuals serving life sentences and 333 Gazan detainees taken into Israeli custody after Oct. 7, 2023. Enditem

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