An Israeli hostage who was held by Hamas for more than a year described his captivity, saying the treatment of hostages was tied to how Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody were treated, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli military said Hamas turned over what it said were the remains of four Israeli hostages for the exchange of dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian teenagers and women detained by Israeli troops in Gaza were released back into the strip Thursday, marking the latest release during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. As they disembarked from the Red Cross buses in the southern town of Khan Younis, the teenagers looked gaunt and skinny. (AP video shot by Mohammad Jahjouh)

Hamas handed over the bodies of 4 Israeli hostages while it waited for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel.

The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners was delayed for several hours and was meant to occur after six Israeli hostages were released on Saturday.

Buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners arrived in the Gaza city of Khan Younis on Thursday morning to a jubilant crowd, with one man throwing off his Israeli prison service t-shirt and stamping it into the ground.

Israel freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, shortly after saying Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over coffins believed to contain the bodies of four hostages.

Israel says the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners is delayed “until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies."