Israel says 12 more freed hostages – 10 of its own citizens and two Thai nationals – have left Gaza and are now in Israeli territory.
Prison officials in Israel also say they’ve released another 30 Palestinians – joining 150 others, mostly women and teenage boys, who’ve been freed since Friday.
Tuesday was the fifth day of the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas, after a 48-hour extension was agreed.
The son of Ada Sagi, who turned 75 while being held in Gaza, told the BBC he was “over the moon” at her release.
Palestinian prisoners have alleged mistreatment while in Israeli jails. A 14-year-old boy said he witnessed beatings; Israel has not commented.
Hamas crossed the border and killed 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October, with about 240 taken hostage.
Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,500 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign.
Tuesday was the first of a two-day extension to a break in fighting that will run out in 24 hours’ time.
But there is a good chance, I think, that we will then see another 48-hour extension agreed by the two parties.
It’s clear that both sides seem to want that, as long as we have this process going more or less according to plan – with very little in the way of interruptions or challenges.
We don’t know the state of the negotiations that have been going on, but we know they’ve been going on. Efforts to keep this truce going will be intense.
But don’t forget that when this process is over, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his troops are planning to continue their operations in Gaza with what he calls “full force”. BBC