Jerusalem, Dec 1 (IANS): Hamas released six more Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip in addition to two female hostages released earlier on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

In a statement, the IDF added that the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had transferred the six hostages to Egypt. They reached a meeting point with Israeli soldiers at Kerem Shalom, a border crossing connecting Gaza, Egypt and Israel.

From there, the hostages would undergo an initial medical assessment at the Hatzerim Base in southern Israel before being taken to hospitals, where they would be reunited with their families, the IDF said.

The newly released hostages include an 18-year-old Bedouin man, his 17-year-old sister and four Israeli women, according to a statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Thursday evening, two Israeli female hostages were already released by Hamas and handed over to Israel.

The eight hostages are the latest batch to be released under a temporary four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which started last Friday and has been extended for three days.