Three Israeli Hostages Released in Exchange for 369 Palestinian Prisoners

Jerusalem/Gaza, Feb 15 (NationPress) On Saturday, Palestinian militant factions have released three additional Israeli hostages who were held in Gaza, while Israeli officials responded by freeing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in a reciprocal exchange.

The released Israeli hostages include Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, a 29-year-old Israeli-Russian citizen; Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old Israeli-American citizen; and Iair Horn, a 46-year-old Israeli-Argentine citizen. These individuals were abducted during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Troufanov was taken captive alongside his mother, grandmother, and partner; the three women were previously released in a separate hostage exchange in November 2023. Tragically, his father was killed on the day of the abduction.

Dekel-Chen, a father of three, welcomed a newborn daughter after his capture. Meanwhile, Horn's brother, Eitan, is still being held in Gaza.

Upon their arrival in Israel, the first bus transporting freed Palestinian prisoners departed from Israel's Ofer prison located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Among the 369 Palestinians released on Saturday were 36 individuals serving life sentences, along with 333 detainees who were apprehended by Israel from the Gaza Strip following the October 7 attack.

One notable figure released was Ahmed Barghouti, 48, who is a close associate of Marwan Barghouti, a prominent leader during the First and Second Intifadas.

This marked the sixth exchange of hostages, following intense negotiations that nearly jeopardized the fragile ceasefire.

Initially, Hamas had planned to postpone the hostage release, citing violations of the agreement by Israel. In retaliation, Israel warned of resuming its offensive on Gaza unless the hostages were freed by Saturday noon, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

On Thursday, Hamas indicated it would proceed with further hostage releases after discussions with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group stated that mediators had committed to eliminating all obstacles to facilitate the entry of more tents, medical supplies, and other essentials into Gaza.

As per the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement, which began on January 19 and lasts for six weeks, 33 Israeli hostages are anticipated to be released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians. To date, 19 Israeli hostages, along with five Thais, have been released from Gaza, while Israeli authorities have liberated over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Immediately following the handover, Hamas characterized the release of the hostages as a confirmation that negotiations and adherence to the ceasefire agreement are the only means for their release.

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister asserted that Hamas had conceded and that the continuation of the hostage release was due to the concentration of Israeli forces in and around Gaza and the clear statements from US President Donald Trump.

Trump warned on Monday that if the hostages in Gaza were not released by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire would be terminated, and he would allow “hell to break loose.”