Hamas Frees 3 Israeli Hostages; Israel Releases 369 Palestinian Prisoners in Swap
Hamas released three Israeli hostages—Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel Chen, and Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov—on Saturday in Gaza. In exchange, Israel freed about 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This swap happened after mediators helped save a fragile ceasefire from collapsing, according to Reuters.
The three Israelis were shown on live video in Khan Younis, Gaza, standing on a stage with armed Hamas militants on either side. They were later taken back to Israel by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners left Ofer jail in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Crowds in Ramallah cheered as the first bus arrived, with some waving Palestinian flags.
One freed Palestinian, 70-year-old Musa Nawarwa from Bethlehem, said, “We didn’t expect to be freed, but God is great, God set us free.” He had been serving two life sentences for killing Israeli soldiers. Other freed Palestinians, some flashing victory signs, arrived at a hospital in Khan Younis. Many had been jailed for attacks during the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, including suicide bombings that killed dozens of Israelis.
Some freed Palestinians, like Hassan Ewis, will return home, while others may be deported to Egypt. Ewis, who was jailed for planting explosives and attempted murder, said prison conditions were harsh, with little food provided. Similarly, some Israeli hostages released earlier reported being starved, kept in tunnels for months, and suffering physical and mental abuse.
For many Palestinians, returning home means coming back to a Gaza destroyed by 15 months of Israeli airstrikes. Most were arrested after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The ceasefire’s second phase aims to negotiate the release of the remaining hostages and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before rebuilding begins. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for pressuring Hamas, which he said helped secure the hostages’ release.
Iair Horn, 46, who was captured with his younger brother Eitan, looked much thinner after his ordeal. His family said, “Now, we can breathe a little. Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza. Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe.”
The swap eased fears that the ceasefire might collapse before the end of its first 42-day phase, which began on January 19. In Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” people cheered and cried when they heard the Red Cross was bringing the three hostages home.
Dekel Chen, Troufanov, and Horn were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community near Gaza’s border attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023. On the handover stage, the hostages gave short statements in Hebrew. Horn was given an hourglass and a photo of another hostage still in Gaza, with a message: “Time is running out.”
Troufanov was kidnapped with his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend, who were freed in November 2023. His father was killed in the attack. Dekel Chen, 36, had left his pregnant wife and two daughters in a safe room to fight Hamas gunmen. In a video, he hugged his wife and smiled when she told him their newborn daughter’s name, Shahar Mazal, meaning “dawn” and “luck” in Hebrew.
So far, 19 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages have been freed, but 73 remain in captivity, with about half declared dead by Israeli authorities.
The ceasefire’s future is uncertain after Trump suggested resettling Palestinians outside Gaza and turning the area into a U.S.-developed resort. This idea has been rejected by Palestinians, Arab states, and U.S. allies.
This report is based on information from Reuters.