Argentinian- Israeli Iair Horn, a launched hostage who was held in Gaza because the lethal Oct. 7, 2023, assault, as a part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, leaves a helicopter at Sourasky Medical Middle in Tel Aviv, Israel on Feb. 15, 2025.
Ronen Zvulun | Reuters
Hamas-led militants launched three male Israeli hostages Saturday and Israeli forces freed lots of of prisoners in return, within the newest indication {that a} fragile ceasefire that had teetered in current days is holding.
Militants within the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages — Iair Horn, 46, a twin citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — earlier than a crowd earlier than releasing them. They had been transported to Israel to be reunited with their households and to obtain medical analysis in a hospital.
All had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a group that was hard-hit within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that ignited the conflict. They appeared pale and worn, however appeared in higher bodily situation than the three males launched final Saturday, who emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.
A tense dispute had jeopardized the almost 4 week-old truce in current days and threatened to resume the combating.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to take away greater than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere within the area has solid much more doubt on the way forward for the ceasefire.
However Hamas mentioned Thursday it might transfer forward with the discharge of extra hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officers. The group mentioned the mediators had pledged to “take away all hurdles” to make sure Israel would permit extra tents, medical provides and different necessities into Gaza.
As with earlier exchanges, the hostage launch was closely choreographed, with the captives made to stroll onto a stage and communicate into microphones earlier than the gang. Dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up close to the stage festooned with Palestinian flags and banners of militant factions.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Sq., an enormous cheer went up because the hostages had been transferred to the Pink Cross. “Iair, Sagui and Sasha are on their means house!” an announcer mentioned.
In return for the hostages’ launch, Israel started releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
A bus carrying the primary launched prisoners arrived within the occupied West Financial institution city of Beitunia and had been greeted by a cheering crowd of relations and supporters. Some appeared gaunt, and the Palestinian Pink Crescent emergency service mentioned 4 had been instantly taken for medical remedy.
Freed Palestinian prisoners gesture from a bus after being launched by Israel as a part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis, within the southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 15, 2025.
Hatem Khaled | Reuters
Most of these launched had been transported to Gaza, the place a big crowd greeted them in Khan Younis, the identical city the place the hostages had been launched hours earlier.
It’s the sixth swap because the ceasefire took impact on Jan. 19. Earlier than Saturday, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners had been freed throughout the first section of the truce.
Who’re the hostages and prisoners being launched?
Horn was kidnapped alongside along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him on the time. Eitan, 37, stays in captivity and isn’t on the checklist of hostages anticipated to be launched within the ceasefire’s first stage.
“Now, we are able to breathe a bit. Our Iair is house after surviving hell in Gaza,” his household mentioned in an announcement. “Now, we have to convey Eitan again so our household can really breathe.”
Dekel Chen had been working exterior when militants stormed the kibbutz. His pregnant spouse, Avital Dekel Chen, hid in a secure room with their two daughters. She gave delivery to their third daughter two months later. Talking to Israeli media Saturday, she mentioned she was overwhelmed with happiness to see Sagui again in Israel, the place he’ll meet his youngest daughter, Shachar, for the primary time.
Troufanov, whose father was killed throughout the Oct. 7 assault, was taken hostage alongside along with his grandmother, mom and girlfriend. The three ladies had been launched throughout a short ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov was knowledgeable of his father’s demise after his launch, shortly earlier than being reunited along with his household, who mentioned they had been “overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude” as he crossed into Israeli territory.
The Palestinian prisoners being launched included 36 serving life sentences for involvement in lethal assaults in opposition to Israelis.
Among the many most outstanding is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, an in depth aide of militant chief and iconic Palestinian political determine Marwan Barghouti.
Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on prices that he dispatched suicide bombers throughout the Second Intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, within the early 2000s to hold out assaults that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.
Twenty-four of these serving life sentences had been to be exiled overseas, whereas 12 returned to the occupied West Financial institution and east Jerusalem.
The opposite 333 had been returned to Gaza, from the place they’d been detained. As a part of the ceasefire, Israel has dedicated to releasing over 1,000 of these detained from Gaza offered they’d not participated within the Oct. 7 assault.
Issues are excessive in regards to the remaining hostages’ situation
Of the 251 folks kidnapped throughout the Oct. 7 assault, 73 stay in Gaza, round half of whom are believed to be lifeless. Almost all of the remaining hostages are males, together with Israeli troopers.
Concern has been rising about their situation, notably after the discharge of three final Saturday, who emerged wanting emaciated and frail.
Certainly one of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, mentioned Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors handled him worse because the 15-month conflict intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him with out water or mild.
The truce stays very fragile
The ceasefire appeared dangerously near collapse in current days.
Hamas had mentioned it might delay the discharge of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their settlement by not permitting in sufficient shelters, medical provides, gas and heavy tools for clearing rubble. Israel mentioned it might resume combating Saturday until hostages had been freed.
Whereas the quick disaster could have been averted, the truce faces a a lot larger problem with the deal’s first section set to conclude in early March. There haven’t but been substantive negotiations over the second section, by which Hamas would launch all remaining hostages in return for an finish to the conflict.
At its peak, the combating displaced 90% of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million. A whole bunch of hundreds have since returned to their properties because the ceasefire took maintain, although many discovered solely rubble, buried human stays and unexploded ordnance.
The conflict has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, principally ladies and youngsters, in keeping with Gaza’s well being Ministry, which doesn’t say what number of had been fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
Trump’s plan will increase uncertainty
Trump’s proposal to take away some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere within the area has thrown the truce’s future into additional doubt.
The thought has been welcomed by Israel’s authorities. But it surely has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab nations. Human rights teams say it may quantity to a conflict crime below worldwide legislation.
Trump proposed that when the combating ends, Israel would switch management of Gaza to the US, which might then redevelop it because the “Riviera of the Center East.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the conflict after the primary section with the aim of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The militant group stays in command of the territory after surviving one of many deadliest and most damaging navy campaigns in current historical past.
Hamas could also be unwilling to launch any extra hostages if it believes the conflict will resume. The captives are among the many solely bargaining chips it has left.