15th February, 2025
Three hostages held by Hamas, Alexander Troufanov, Yair Horn, and Sagui Dekel-Chen, have been released and are on their way to Israel.
The handover took place in Khan Younis, where the hostages were transferred from a Hamas vehicle to Red Cross vehicles.
They will be taken to an Israeli base for medical assessment after being handed over to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).
The release is part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
However, not all hostages will be released in this phase. Yair Horn’s brother, Eitan, is still being held in Gaza and is not included in this initial release.
The handover ceremony was carefully choreographed by Hamas, with certificates, gift bags, flags, and displays of military might.
The event was closely watched in Israel, with many holding their breath as the hostages were transferred to the Red Cross vehicles.
A round of applause erupted as the hostages were placed inside the vehicles, marking their moment of freedom.
Israel is expected to release 369 Palestinian prisoners later Saturday, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said Friday, 333 of whom were arrested in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
It will be the largest number of Palestinian prisoners released during the exchanges so far.
