Hamas releases three more Israeli captives in Gaza amid fragile ceasefire
The hostages on stage in Khan Younis earlier, shortly before being handed over to the Red Cross (Reuters)
In a significant development under the ongoing ceasefire agreement, the Palestinian group Hamas released three more Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
The handover, which took place in Khan Younis, involved American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexander Sasha Trufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn. All three were abducted during Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel.
The release ceremony, attended by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was heavily guarded by dozens of armed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters.
Hundreds of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, gathered behind security cordons to witness the event. The captives were seen holding certificates of release and maps of Palestine before being transported to Israel for medical evaluations and family reunions.
This marks the sixth such exchange since the ceasefire began on January 19, bringing the total number of released captives to 25.
The release follows days of tense negotiations that had threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire.
While the exchange represents a step forward in de-escalation efforts, the situation remains precarious, with both sides navigating complex political and humanitarian challenges.
