The Israeli army said the International Committee of the Red Cross had handed over to it the three hostages who were earlier freed by “Hamas“ and “Islamic Jihad“ in the Gaza Strip, Agence France-Presse and Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
“Special forces are escorting them to Israeli territory“, the army said in a statement.
Before their release, the militants who were holding them captive brought them on stage and made them speak to the assembled crowd. They spent nearly 500 days in captivity.
Who are the freed?
- Yair Horn (46) – with dual Israeli and Argentine citizenship
- Sagi Dekel Hen (36) – with Israeli and American citizenship
- Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov (29) – with Israeli and Russian citizenship
They were all kidnapped during the attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war, the AP recalls. Yair Horn's brother, Eitan, remains in captivity.
Hostage exchange and the future of the ceasefire
Among the Palestinian prisoners to be released is Ahmed Barghouti - a 48-year-old close aide to Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti. This is seen as a sign that the fragile ceasefire, which has recently been shaken, can be preserved.
At present, 73 Israeli hostages remain in captivity, and about half of them are believed to have died.
Since the ceasefire began on January 19, the two sides have carried out five exchanges - 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners were released.
The war could resume if an agreement is not reached on the second, more complex phase of the ceasefire, which requires the release of all remaining hostages and an extension of the ceasefire indefinitely.