Eli Sharabi and fellow captives Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy appeared thin as they were handed over by Hamas gunmen.

The British family of an Israeli hostage freed from Gaza on Saturday have described a "pendulum of emotions" as he was released 16 months after his capture.

The Israeli hostages, who appeared thin, were paraded in front of dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters. One of the three Israeli hostages released by Hamas in the fifth such swap of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza appeared "skinny" and "gaunt," a member of his family has said.

Hamas militants released three frail Israel hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners, some also emaciated, on Saturday.

Hamas released three more hostages on Saturday under a three-week-old cease-fire deal that has become a test of wills between the militant group and Israel. The group freed Or Levy, 34, who was taken from the Nova music festival 16 months ago,

The release of the three men was the fifth in a staggered hostage-for-prisoner exchange laid out in a cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel.

Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi were handed over in the latest exchange under the Gaza cease-fire deal.