After being held captive in Gaza for 16 long months, three Israeli hostages—Sasha Troufanov, Sagui Dekel-Shen, and Ayer Horn—have finally been released. These three were among the hostages taken by Hamas, the political group controlling Gaza, during an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory in October 2023.
On Saturday, around 10 AM local time, an armed unit from Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, brought Sasha Troufanov, Sagui Dekel-Shen, and Ayer Horn in a white vehicle to the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. A temporary stage had already been set up there, surrounded by hundreds of Palestinian onlookers.
A senior Hamas member signed documents handing over the hostages to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The hostages were then brought onto the stage and were requested to say a few words to the gathered Palestinians. After their brief statements, they were taken to the Rafah crossing in Red Cross vehicles.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and officers from Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, were already waiting at the crossing. The Red Cross representatives formally handed over the hostages to Israeli officials, after which they entered Israel in an IDF vehicle.
The families of the three hostages had been anxiously waiting for their return, leading to emotional reunions upon their arrival.
On Saturday, in exchange for the release of these three hostages, Israel is set to release 369 Palestinian prisoners. According to Israel’s prison authorities, these detainees will be handed over to Red Cross representatives by midday local time.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a military operation in Gaza, which has continued for 15 months. During this time, more than 48,000 people have been killed, over 111,000 injured, and Gaza has been reduced to rubble.
Under intense pressure from the United States and other mediators, Hamas and Israel finally agreed to a ceasefire. Since the ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas has released a total of 16 hostages in five rounds of exchanges, while Israel has freed 766 Palestinian prisoners in return.