Feb. 15 (UPI) — Three hostages — American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexandre Troufanov and Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn — on Saturday were released by militant Hamas in exchange for 369 prisoners.
After the sixth handoff since the cease-fire on Jan. 25, Hamas has now released 19 Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement. Eight of the 33 promised hostages are dead, according to the Israeli government.
Compared with the previous release seven days ago, these men appeared to look in better health.
The were kidnapped from the kibbutz Nir Oz during the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and had been held captive for almost 500 days.
The men were given to the Red Cross, who transported them to Israeli Defense Forces soldiers at a second location within the Gaza Strip. Then they went to Israel for initial medical checks and to reunite with their families.
Families in Kibbutz Nir Oz gathered to watch the release. Horn also handed an hourglass featuring images of hostage Matan Zangauker and his mother, Einav, with text reading: “Time is running out.”
The three hostages were holding an embroidery showing a map of the claimed borders of Palestine.
Hamas gunmen were wearing IDF uniforms and held Israeli weapons stolen on Oct. 7.
Some Palestinians were ordered to wear clothes provided by the Israeli Prison Service with the quote “We will not forget, and we will not forgive” inscribed next to a Star of David. Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, called it a “flagrant violation of all international and humanitarian laws.”
It was the largest number of prisoners released.
Those freed included 36 terrorists serving life sentences for murdering dozens. The others were detained in Gaza after the war started.
Buses believed to be carrying the Palestinian detainees entered Gaza from Kerem Shalom into Rafah, and headed to a hospital in Khan Younis where large crowds were waiting. Earlier Saturday, 36 Palestinians were released to the occupied West Bank, including 24 who were later exiled to Egypt.
Hamas originally postpone the releases after accusing Israel of violating commitments to the cease-fire agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump then said “let all hell break out” of the release doesn’t happen.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office thanked Trump for his “clear and unequivocal” statement, saying it helped push Hamas to back down and free the hostages.
Troufanov , 27, was kidnapped by Palestinian Al-Quds Brigades, a militant group allied with Islamic Jihad, along with his grandmother, Irena Tati, his mother Lena Troufanov and girlfriend Sapir Cohen, who were released previouslyl. His father Vitaly was killed during the attack, and he was infrormed about it.
Dekel-Chen, 35, was taken by Hamas while trying to defend the kibbutz from attackers. His wife Avital was pregnant with their third child during the attack, and gave birth to Dekel-Chen’s daughter while in captivity in December 2023. Dekel-Chen was informed he has a third daughter.
Horn, 46, was also captured by Hamas with his brother Eitan, who remains in captivity.
The cease-fire expires on March 1.
The second stage of the multi-phase agreement would secure the release of around 60 male hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is calling on Netanyahu to immediately convene the security cabinet to move ahead on the second phase.
Militants killed more than 1,200 people during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Then Israel struck Gaza, killing more than 45,000 people, according to Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
