Hamas has released three Israeli hostages who were held in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, in exchange for more than 300 Palestinian prisoners.
At the time of writing, the freed Israeli hostages—Iair Horn, 46, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, and Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29—were in Israeli care after being handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza. Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan, who remains in Hamas’ captivity.
The most well-known of the Palestinian prisoners set for release is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader and prominent Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti.
This exchange is the latest sign that the fragile ceasefire, signed last month, is still holding despite tensions earlier in the week.
Since the truce began on January 19, the two sides have conducted five exchanges, leading to the release of 21 Israeli hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners. However, nearly all 73 remaining Israeli hostages are men, including soldiers, with about half feared dead.
The war could resume if no agreement is reached on the next phase of negotiations, which involves securing the release of all remaining hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and extending the truce indefinitely.
