Hamas Releases Three Israeli Hostages in Latest Prisoner Swap

Hamas has released three more Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, amid ongoing tensions over the fragile ceasefire deal.

American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, 29, were freed in return for 369 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. This latest exchange brings the total number of hostages released under the agreement to 19, alongside more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

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The swap followed a brief deadlock after Hamas accused Israel of violating the terms of the deal—a claim Israel denied. Backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel had warned that fighting would resume if the hostages were not released. Despite the tensions, Hamas later reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, placing responsibility for any delays on Israel.

On Saturday, the sixth exchange proceeded as planned, with the hostages transferred to Red Cross workers in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in a tightly choreographed public event. Surrounded by armed Hamas militants, the freed men briefly addressed a crowd before being placed in Red Cross vehicles.

The three were then airlifted to a hospital in central Israel for medical evaluations and emotional reunions with their families. Yair Horn, who was abducted along with his brother Eitan during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, embraced his mother and another brother, Amos, in the hospital. Eitan remains in captivity.

For Sagui Dekel-Chen, the reunion was bittersweet—he discovered that his wife had given birth to their third child, a daughter, while he was in captivity.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the latest hostage release on Saturday, emphasizing that Hamas had not acted on its previous threats.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the conditions of the release, calling it a “despicable and cynical ceremony” in a social media post. Defence Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to working with the United States to secure the return of all remaining hostages.

Most of the freed Palestinian prisoners were transported to Gaza, while others were taken to the West Bank, where large crowds gathered to welcome them. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that five of the released individuals in Ramallah required immediate hospitalization due to chronic illnesses, with one suffering from a broken leg.

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Reports indicate that 36 Palestinians serving life sentences will be deported to Egypt.

With the latest exchange, Hamas is expected to release 14 more hostages under the terms of the ceasefire. However, Israel claims that eight of them are deceased, leaving six living hostages to be returned in this phase.

So far, 141 hostages have been freed, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals, under previous agreements between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 individuals taken to Gaza as hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military offensive in Gaza, which, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths.

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