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Hamas Names Hostages Set for Release on Saturday

Hamas Names Hostages Set for Release on Saturday


Hamas on Friday published the names of three more hostages to be released, signaling that an impasse over the immediate future of the cease-fire with Israel had been overcome after days of recriminations between the two sides.

The three men are set to be freed on Saturday as part of a series of exchanges between Israel and Hamas. Hamas named them in a statement as Alexander Troufanov, 29; Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36; and Iair Horn, 46. Mr. Dekel-Chen is one of the last American citizens held in Gaza.

In a statement, the Israeli government confirmed that Hamas had formally passed along the names of the three men. President Trump had earlier seemed to demand that all hostages still held in Gaza be released by Saturday, but Israeli leaders appeared willing to continue with the timetable as laid out in the truce.

Israel is set to free more than 360 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three men, mostly detainees from Gaza. Thirty-six of them are serving life sentences, including Ahmed Barghouti, who was convicted of orchestrating attacks that killed 12 Israelis.

The multistage cease-fire deal signed in January is intended to stop the devastating fighting in Gaza. It stipulates an initial 42-day truce, during which Hamas will free at least 33 hostages in exchange for over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas had said this week that it would indefinitely suspend the release, claiming that Israel had violated the deal, including by continuing to send troops beyond the cease-fire lines and by not allowing in enough shelters for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. After mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas said on Thursday that it was ready to move ahead, provided that Israel upheld its own commitments.

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