In a significant development under the ongoing truce, Gaza militants handed over three Israeli hostages to the International Red Cross yesterday, marking the latest in a series of prisoner swaps since the ceasefire began on January 19.
The release of the hostages was part of a larger exchange that also saw 369 Palestinians freed from Israeli custody.
The three Israeli captives, identified as Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, and Israeli-Argentinian Yair Horn, were paraded before a crowd in Gaza’s Khan Yunis.
“We call for further exchanges to continue under the truce,” one of the hostages said, as they addressed the gathering while holding gift bags and certificates to commemorate the end of their captivity.
The hostages had been held since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing conflict.
Hundreds of Hamas fighters, bearing the emblem of the group’s armed wing, Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, secured the handover. The release sparked emotional reactions both in Gaza and Israel, where a crowd gathered at Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square,” showing support for the captives with Israeli flags and posters.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated that the 369 Palestinians released were largely individuals arrested after the October 7 attacks, with 24 expected to be deported. Amid concerns about conditions in captivity, such as the emaciated state of the hostages, Israeli officials also expressed fears for the health of Palestinian prisoners following their releases.
“Starved and tortured, both physically and emotionally,” Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel, who was previously released, described his own ordeal in captivity. These accounts have intensified calls for better treatment of prisoners on both sides.
Despite fears that the truce might collapse, both Israel and Hamas have signaled their commitment to continuing the ceasefire. A Hamas official indicated that talks for a second phase of the ceasefire are expected to begin next week.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a key truce mediator, is set to visit Israel for discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the ongoing peace efforts.
