Hamas releases three more Israeli hostages in return of 369 Palestinian prisoners under Gaza truce deal

Hamas on Saturday released three more Israeli hostages, including an American, after 498 days, following Egyptian and Qatari mediators’ constant efforts to avert a standoff between the group and Israel that threatened to end a carefully crafted, but fragile ceasefire deal.

Flanked by armed Hamas terrorists, the three hostages – Iair Horn, 46, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov, 29, – were handed over to the Red Cross after they were led onto a stage in Khan Younis.

The hostages were returned in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, a swap which eases fears that the agreement could collapse before the end of a 42-day ceasefire.

They appeared relieved and to be in a better condition than the other three captives who appeared frail and weak, drawing anger among thousands of Israelis. However, Horn, one of the three hostages, visibly lost weight compared to his original picture as seen in the poster, where he is seen to be healthy.

“The three returning hostages are currently being accompanied by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and the ISA (Israel Security Agency) forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment,” the IDF tweeted.

“The IDF salutes and embraces the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel,” it said.

WHO ARE THESE 3 FREED HOSTAGES?

Troufanov, a Russian Israeli, was kidnapped along with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend by Hamas during their onslaught on Israel on October 7, 2023. His mother, grandmother and girlfriend were released in the brief November 23 truce.

His father was killed in a Hamas attack on Nir Oz, one of the worst hit communities, where one in four people either died or were taken hostage.

Dekel-Chen, a US Israeli, who is a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was kidnapped by Hamas when he was at his workshop to convert a bus into a mobile classroom. He was kidnapped when his wife Avital was seven months pregnant. His two young daughters survived by hiding in a safe room for nine hours, The Jerusalem Post reported.

On the morning of his abduction, Dekel-Chen, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was at his workshop where he was working to convert a bus into a mobile classroom. His wife, Avital, who was then seven months pregnant, and their two young daughters survived by hiding in a safe room for nine harrowing hours.

In November 2023, the freed hostages told his family that he was safe in Gaza but injured. Avital gave birth to a baby girl two months after Dekel-Chen’s kidnapping and named her Shachar, which means dawn in Hebrew.

Dekel-Chen’s father, Jonathan, originally from Connecticut, immigrated to Israel in the 1980s. He spent four years in the US, where he discovered his love for baseball and later played for Israel’s junior national team, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Horn, who was born and raised in Argentina, was kidnapped by Hamas along with his brother Eitan at Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Eitan remains in the group’s captivity.

The 46-year-old immigrated to Israel in 1999 and manages a community pub at Kibbutz Nir Oz. He is also a stand-up comedian and a radio broadcaster.

HAMAS-ISRAEL BICKERING THREATENED TRUCE

Hamas had earlier threatened not to release more hostages after it accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire by blocking aid from entering Gaza, drawing counterthreats of a resumption of fighting from Israel, which called up reservists and placed its forces on high alert.

In response, US President Donald Trump on Monday said that if all hostages held in Gaza were not released by Saturday noon, he would propose ending the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and “let hell break out”.

Israel also echoed Trump’s warning and said it would resume its fighting with Hamas if the group did not go ahead with Saturday’s hostage release.

The Jewish nation has said it is fulfilling its obligations under the deal, which went into effect on January 19 and has paused the 16-month war in Gaza, bringing respite to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Last month, Hamas agreed to hand over 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children and sick, wounded and older men, in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, during the six-week truce during which Israeli forces would pull back from some of their positions in Gaza.

Before Saturday, 16 of the 33 Israeli hostages had been returned, along with five Thais who were handed over in an unscheduled release. That left 76 hostages still in Gaza, only around half of whom are thought to be alive.

(with inputs from agencies)