Video: Israeli family reunites after mother & two daughters are released from Hamas captivity

An Israeli father rejoiced at reuniting with his wife and daughters who returned to Israel on Friday after being held hostage for weeks by Hamas.

Yoni Katz Asher hugged his family at Schneider Children's Medical Center after their 50-day ordeal.

In a video distributed by the hospital, the family are seen in a tight embrace as the father speaks to his children.

"I dreamt we went home," four-year-old Raz Katz Asher can be heard saying.

"The dream has came true," Yoni Katz Asher responds. "Now we're home."

Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages it held captive in Gaza for weeks, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a four-day cease-fire that offered a small glimmer of relief to both sides.

Under the truce agreement, Hamas will release one Israeli hostage for every three prisoners freed, and Israel's Prison Service had already said earlier Saturday it was preparing 42 prisoners for release.

It was not immediately clear how many non-Israeli captives may also be released.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners during the four-day truce, all woman and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed — something United States President Joe Biden said he hoped would come to pass.

The start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and leveled residential areas.

Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent as well.