Middle East latest: Israel releases over 300 Palestinian prisoners after receiving 3 more hostages
Israel and Hamas completed their sixth exchange of hostages and prisoners on Saturday after their ceasefire survived its latest crisis.
Israeli authorities released more than 300 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody after receiving three Israeli men held hostage in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war.
The three freed are Iair Horn, 46, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, and Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29. All are dual nationals. Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan, who remains in captivity.
Among the most prominent of the Palestinian prisoners released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of militant leader and Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti.
The two sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners so far during the first phase of the truce. The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached on the more complicated second phase, which calls for the return of all remaining hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack and an indefinite extension of the truce.
Nearly all the 73 remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers, and about half are believed to be dead.
Hostage families celebrate their release
TEL AVIV, Israel — Chen's wife, Avital, told Israeli media that every Saturday for the past month her daughters have asked her: 'Is Daddy coming home today?'
She said she was overwhelmed with happiness to see Sagui back in Israel where he will meet for the first time his youngest daughter Shachar, born while he was in captivity.
Chen appeared to be limping as he descended the stage during the hostage release.
'Our hearts ache for everything he missed, but now he's here, unlike many others,' Dekel Chen's family said.
Troufanov's family said they were 'overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude' as he crossed into Israeli territory. Before meeting them, Troufanov was informed his father was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.
Horn's family joyously put stickers that read 'I'm back!' on sweatshirts bearing photos of the Argentinian-Israeli brothers Eitan and Iair Horn.
'Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza. Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe,' the family said.
In the pub that Horn managed at Kibbutz Nir Oz, dozens of people gathered, raising toasts to the return of the three hostages.
Israel begins releasing Palestinian prisoners
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel is expected to release 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 36 serving life sentences over deadly attacks.
Footage showed a busload of prisoners arriving in the occupied West Bank, where they were met by relatives and cheering supporters.
Most of those released were transported to Gaza, where a large crowd greeted them in Khan Younis, the same town where the hostages had been released hours earlier.
Russian ambassador to Qatar welcomes Trufanov's release
Doha — Dmitry Dogadkin said that Trufanov 'was included in the list of hostages to be released in the first, and not the second stage of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, at Russia's request', reported Russian state news agency TASS.
He also said: 'According to the leadership of the Palestinian movement, this was done as a sign of respect for our country's position in support of a fair settlement of the Middle East conflict.'
Israel confirms receiving the hostages
JERUSALEM — Israeli authorities confirmed they received the three Israeli hostages on Saturday after Hamas released them to the Red Cross.
They appeared pale and worn but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged from 16 months of captivity emaciated.
Hamas fighters gather ahead of hostage release
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters have gathered in the southern Gaza Strip for the release of three Israeli hostages.
As with previous exchanges, a stage was set up and the area was festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions. Nearby was the shell of a heavily damaged multistory building.
The militants are expected to parade the hostages before crowds and cameras before handing them over to the Red Cross.
The truce is holding, but it's still very fragile
The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.
Hamas said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble, while Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.
Trump's proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region threw the truce's future into further doubt.
The idea has been welcomed by Israel's government, whose far-right members are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first ceasefire phase. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries, and human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.
Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.
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