In this handout photo provided by the Israel Defense Forceson (IDF) on Nov 27, 2023, released Israeli hostages Tal Goldstein Almog (left) and his brother Gal are seen as they return to Israel in a helicopter, after being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (PHOTO / IDF VIA AP)

JERUSALEM/GAZA - The Israeli government confirmed on Tuesday that the fifth batch of hostages released from the Gaza Strip by Hamas has returned to Israel.

The 12 hostages, including 10 Israelis and two Thai nationals, will undergo an initial medical examination before being escorted by security forces to the hospital to be reunited with their families, according to the statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and Israel Defense Forces.

A total of 30 Palestinian prisoners would be released on Tuesday in exchange for the release of the Israeli hostages under a deal to extend the four-day humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari confirmed on the social media platform X.

The 10 Israeli hostages, including nine women and a minor, were handed over to the the International Red Cross, the spokesperson said.

The humanitarian four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, supposed to expire on Tuesday morning, was extended for an additional two days, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

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At least 160 bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes were retrieved by rescue teams in Gaza  within the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run media office said on Tuesday

Israel did not comment on the extension, but announced early Tuesday morning that it approved to release 50 more female Palestinian prisoners if "more Israeli hostages are released."

Qatar, as well as Egypt and the United States, helped broker the previous four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that started on Friday. Under the truce deal, Hamas released 50 Israeli hostages in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

More than 200 hostages were taken to Gaza by Hamas militants during their Oct 7 surprise attack on Israel, which retaliated by launching deadly airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that David Barnea, chief of the country's intelligence agency Mossad, is currently in Qatar, one of the mediators of the Israel-Hamas truce deal that started last Friday.

Barnea's trip is probably related to a possible further extension of the truce, Israeli media reported.

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During the temporary truce, rescue operations were made in Gaza.

At least 160 bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes were retrieved by rescue teams in Gaza  within the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run media office said on Tuesday.

It said that the bodies were recovered from various locations in the Palestinian coastal enclave ruled by Hamas, using manual and rudimentary tools.

More than 6,500 people are still missing, including over 4,700 children and women, according to the office.

The total Palestinian death toll since Oct 7 has surpassed 15,000, including more than 6,150 children and over 4,000 women. Israel said that the Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people while more than 200 people were taken as hostages.