Hamas will hand over the bodies of four Israeli captives on Thursday in what it said would be an exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, capping the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, AFP reports.

“Mediators have informed Hamas that the [hostage-prisoner] exchange will take place on Thursday … Hamas and other resistance factions will hand over four bodies of Israeli captives, and in return, Israel will release more than 600 Palestinian detainees,” a Hamas official told AFP.

Another senior Hamas official said the “exchange will happen simultaneously”.

Israel has reached an agreement with mediators for the return of the bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.