Tel Aviv: Three hostages released from Gaza. This marks the sixth exchange under the ceasefire deal that began last month. The hostages are American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexandre Troufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn. Their release follows negotiations between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.
Prisoner Swap
Israel free 369 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas’ Prisoner Media Office confirmed this exchange. Troufanov was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. His grandmother, mother, and girlfriend were also taken but were later freed. His father was killed in the attack.
Dekel-Chen was 35 when he was kidnapped while trying to defend Nir Oz from Hamas attackers. His wife was pregnant at the time. Their third child was born while he was in captivity and turned one in December. Horn, now 46, was also taken from Nir Oz with his brother Eitan. Eitan remains in captivity.
Hamas Dispute
This release follows a dispute between Hamas and Israel over the ceasefire deal. Hamas had refused to release hostages on Saturday as planned. The group accused Israel of violating terms of the agreement. However, the disagreement was resolved on Thursday. Hamas then confirmed it would proceed with the release.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad was responsible for kidnapping Troufanov. The group has released several videos of him in captivity. The ceasefire deal has facilitated multiple exchanges since it began. However, tensions remain high.
Ceasefire Uncertainty
Former US President Donald Trump criticized the multi-stage ceasefire approach. He suggested an ultimatum to Hamas for the release of all hostages at once. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump’s demand. However, he did not fully agree with it. Instead, he issued a statement pressuring Hamas to return hostages by noon on Saturday.
Netanyahu warned that if hostages were not released, the military would resume fighting. He stated that Israel aims for Hamas’ complete defeat. Israeli government officials stressed that retrieving hostages remains a priority.
Future of Conflict
David Mencer, spokesman for Netanyahu’s office, confirmed that the ceasefire will end if three live hostages are not freed. If Hamas fails to release them, Israel will resume intense military operations in Gaza. Both sides continue to blame each other for ceasefire violations.
The ceasefire deal has resulted in several successful exchanges. However, many hostages and prisoners remain on both sides. Families of captives hope for further negotiations to ensure more releases.
This latest exchange will determine whether the ceasefire holds or if fighting resumes. The situation remains highly tense, with diplomatic efforts continuing behind the scenes.