Hostages handed over to Israeli military
According to Israeli media the released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn are now in the hands of IDF troops in the Gaza Strip.
They will shortly be brought out of the Strip to an army facility near the border community of Re’im for an initial checkup.
Key events
Buses gather in front of Ofer prison, West Bank, ahead of the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Most will return to what is left of their homes in Gaza and to the West Bank.
Some will be exiled to other countries.
Released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn have crossed the border into Israel after 498 days in captivity.
No way to free hostages other than ‘through negotiations’, says Hamas
In a statement, Hamas says that today’s hostage release shows there is no way to free the hostages held in Gaza “except through negotiations and by adhering to the requirements of the ceasefire agreement”.
The group adds: “We say to the whole world: There is no migration except to Jerusalem,” a response to US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians resettle in neighbouring countries.
It was touch and go if the hostages would be released today, as earlier in the week, Hamas said they wouldn’t release them due to their claim that Israel had violated the terms of the ceasefire deal put in place three weeks ago.
Hostages handed over to Israeli military
According to Israeli media the released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn are now in the hands of IDF troops in the Gaza Strip.
They will shortly be brought out of the Strip to an army facility near the border community of Re’im for an initial checkup.
Today’s handover unfolded a lot more smoothly than past releases orchestrated by both Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Previous releases were marked by chaotic scenes with hostages enveloped by large crowds as they made their way to Red Cross vehicles.
The IDF has confirmed that the three hostages are in the care of the Red Cross and will shortly be transferred to the military unit in Gaza.
Once the hostages are handed over to the IDF and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), they will receive a medical assessment.
Lair Horn, 46, was taken by fighters from his home in Israel’s Nir Oz settlement on October 7, 2023. Horn and his family emigrated from Argentina.
Alexander Trufanov, 29, a Russian Israeli national, was abducted with his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, from their home in Nir Oz on October 7 2023. His father was killed in the attacks.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, who was also taken from Nir Oz, is a US Israeli citizen. The 36-year-old is a father of three, including one who was born during his captivity, and is not aware that his wife and children survived the October 2023 attack.
The Red Cross is now bringing them to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside Gaza to then be escorted out of the Strip, reports the Times of Israel.
Here are some images from Saturday’s hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters
Russian-Israeli Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov, a hostage held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, Photograph: Ramadan Abed/Reuters
People react as they watch news coverage, on the day of the release of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Israel are now expected to hand over 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Khan Younis, Gaza.
In a highly coordinated operation, the hostages, flanked by heavily armed members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, were led onto to a stage covered in propaganda images and invited to speak on a microphone.
The hostages look in healthy condition.
All held up documents with their pictures as cameras and small drones hovered overhead, filming the event.
All three hostages have now been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Three Israeli hostages released
The three captives, Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, 46; Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Israeli-Russian Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 are now on stage being handed over to the Red Cross.
Red Cross officials can be seen talking to Hamas officials and walking over to a white van which has just arrived in the square.
Article by:Source: Helen Livingstone
