Filipino caregiver Gelienor "Jimmy" Leano Pacheco was among the 24 hostages, who included 13 Israelis and 10 Thais, handed over late Friday to the Red Cross in Gaza by terror group Hamas, Qatar, which mediated the deal said.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that 39 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli jails were also freed in an exchange deal with Hamas.

With the release of Pacheco, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government's attention now turns to ensuring the safety of another Filipino national, Noralyn Babadilla, who is also reportedly being held hostage by the Hamas terror group.

He said the government will spare no effort to ensure Babadilla's release. Babadilla was one of those previously tagged as missing or unaccounted for.

Qatar has led weeks of intense negotiations, coordinating with the US and Egypt, to reach an agreement to free 50 civilian hostages from Gaza in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a four-day truce, and access to humanitarian aid. 

A source with knowledge of the talks confirmed the 10 Thais and one Filipino freed were in addition to the 50 Israeli hostages earmarked for release. 

Their release was secured "following the Thai foreign minister's visit to Qatar and mediation efforts by the Qataris and Egyptians," the source said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. 

The number of hostages due to be freed under the deal staggered over the four-day truce, is by far the largest since Hamas gunmen stormed across Israel's border on 7 October and carried out the deadliest attack in Israel's history.