Hundreds of Palestinian inmates released as hostages return to Israel
Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday after three more Israeli hostages returned home following 16 months of captivity in Gaza, as a fragile ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Islamist group Hamas continues to hold.
Four buses carrying prisoners freed in exchange for the three men have arrived in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.
Another minibus transporting eight inmates held at Israel's Ofer Prison in the West Bank reportedly reached Ramallah, where the prisoners were greeted by overjoyed relatives, as seen on footage of their arrival.
It comes after Palestinian militant organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed over the three hostages to representatives of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.
Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Iair Horn, 46, were reunited with their families upon their return to Israel.
Troufanov had been held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, while the other two had been held by Hamas following their abduction during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
In exchange for their release, a total of 369 Palestinians were set to be released on Saturday, including 333 inmates arrested in the Gaza Strip following October 7, as well as 36 detainees from the West Bank and East Jerusalem sentenced to life imprisonment.
Due to the severity of their offences, some of them have been barred from returning home and will be brought abroad instead, according to the agreement.
The swap comes after a week full of fears that the ceasefire agreement was on the brink of collapse, after Hamas accused Israel of violating the terms of the deal.
Last-minute negotiations managed to avoid this.
Hostage families express relief
Relatives of Dekel-Chen rejoiced at the sight of the 36-year-old man, saying he would now see his two daughters again, as well as his youngest daughter who was born while he was in Gaza.
Dekel-Chen's third child was born more than a year ago while he was held hostage in the Gaza Strip. "Our hearts hurt mainly because of what he has missed," the family said in a statement issued by a forum of the relatives of the hostages.
Images published on Israeli media showed relief on the faces of the relatives of Horn, who had lost half his weight while held hostage, according to relatives.
"Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza," his family said. They are still awaiting the return of his brother.
The relatives of Troufanov also expressed relief at the release of the 29-year-old man. "We are overwhelmed by emotions and gratitude for Sasha's return home after 498 long and agonizing days in captivity," they said.
Israeli president slams handover ceremony
During the handover broadcast live on television, the three Israeli hostages were led onto a stage by masked and armed fighters and forced to speak into a microphone, clutching "release documents" and what appeared to be "gift bags" from Hamas.
They did not look as emaciated as the Israeli hostages released last week.
Hundreds of onlookers gathered to observe the men's release. Armed Hamas members took up position in and on a nearby destroyed building.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the "cynical ceremony" held in Gaza while at the same time expressing joy at the hostages' release.
"After the despicable and cynical ceremony you were forced to endure, we are happy that you are now being reunited with your families," Herzog posted on X.
Despite Israel's military campaign launched following the October 7 attacks that has laid much of Gaza to ruin, the Islamist group continues to put on a show of force during the hostage handovers to present itself as invincible.
One of Israel's stated aims in the war is to completely eliminate Hamas.
73 still remain in Gaza
The Gaza war began after after Hamas and allied groups killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted more than 250 to the coastal strip on October 7, 2023.
According to Palestinian data, more than 48,200 Palestinians have died in the following 15 months of fighting between Hamas and Israel in the sealed-off coastal territory.
The future of the ceasefire had been uncertain for days after Hamas announced a suspension of the hostage releases, claiming Israel was violating agreements and blocking aid deliveries.
US President Donald Trump then issued an ultimatum, demanding the release of all hostages by Saturday midday, warning that otherwise "all hell will break loose."
Following last-minute negotiations mediated by Egypt, Hamas relented and passed on the names of the three men to be released on Saturday.
After their release, Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to say that "Israel will now have to decide what they will do" about his deadline for the release of "all hostages."
"The United States will back the decision they make!" he added.
Under the current ceasefire, which took effect on January 19, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are set to be released from Gaza in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners during an initial six-week phase.
So far, Hamas has released a total of 19 hostages under the latest ceasefire deal, in addition to five Thai nationals abducted from Israel.
Another 14 hostages, including eight said to be dead, are set to be released over the next two weeks.
A total of 73 hostages are still held in Gaza, with more to be released during a second phase of the agreement, which has yet to be negotiated. Some 36 of them are believed to be no longer alive.
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