A Palestinian militant group in Gaza announced it would release hostages Iair Horn, U.S.-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Russian-Israeli Alexandre Sasha Troufanov on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
All three were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was overrun by Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023. Iair Horn’s brother, Eitan, remains in captivity.
In exchange, Israel is expected to release 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, according to Hamas. The announcement came after days of uncertainty, with intense mediation from Egypt and Qatar to maintain the U.S.-backed ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated it had “received” Hamas’s list of hostages, clarifying that this acknowledgment did not signify approval of the ceasefire’s continuation.
Tensions rose after Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza, while Israel threatened to resume military operations. The Israeli military placed reserve units on high alert around Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the ceasefire should be scrapped if all hostages are not released on Saturday, stating that otherwise, “all hell [should] break loose.”
Trump’s earlier proposal for Palestinians to be relocated from Gaza and for the U.S. to redevelop the enclave has further disrupted expectations for the ceasefire, which was intended to be the first phase in a broader effort to resolve the 15-month-long conflict.
