Hamas frees 3 more hostages, including American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, as Gaza ceasefire endures
36-year-old United States – Israel Sagui Dekel-Chen is one of three hostages after Hamas was imprisoned in Gaza on Saturday morning for nearly a year and a half. The other two hostages of the Red Cross members in the southern Gaza city of Khan are Israeli Sasha Troufanov, 29, and Iair Horn, 46.
The men were brought to the stage of Khan Younis by Hamas agents, all of whom were not significantly hurt, and they read the statement, but Israeli TV did not broadcast the audio of the remarks.
The IDF confirmed shortly after the Red Cross moved the men to the IDF that they had crossed the Gaza border across Israel.
Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty
“The return hostages are currently at the initial reception site in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with family members,” the IDF said in a statement.
All three were kidnapped in Hamas terrorist attack October 7, 2023living from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border with Gaza. Hamas holds two people, one of which is held by the other militant group in Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
Dekel-Chen works in the Neil Yuan Oz mechanical workshop when Hamas attacked on October 7. According to the Hostages and Missing Family Forum, he faced terrorists and was taken hostage, which represents the families of people who were caught that day.
Handout/IDF
His father, Jonathan, who lives in New York, told CBS News in September 2024 that Dekel-Chen is “the father of three little girls” that he still hasn’t seen before he.
“His seven-month-old wife miraculously survived with two little girls,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen told CBS at the time. On Saturday, IDF released a Photo of Sagui reunited with his wife Avital.
The forum said Amazon engineer Trufanov immigrated to Israel from the Soviet Union. His father was killed in the October 7 attack. His grandmother, mother and girlfriend were taken hostage, but it was followed by part of a November 2023 exchange with Hamas’ previous hostage prisoners.
Horn, 46, was kidnapped with his brother Eitan on October 7, according to the Hostages and Missing Family Forum.
“From Saturday, the shocking footage of hostage survivors, the latest signs of life, proved that time for those who are still captured is over,” the forum said on Friday. “We must reach a comprehensive and direct agreement, There is no gap or delay to return to all hostages – a life of recovery and proper burial of the deceased.”
Hamas Said Thursday It will continue its transaction with Israel under the terms of the ceasefire and the release of hostages Said a few days ago This will delay the scheduled exchange on Saturday, accusing Israel of violating the deal.
Hamas has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but has long been designated as a terrorist group by Israel and the United States, accusing Israel of violating the agreement on Monday for failing to secure emergency housing and other essential necessities. Tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced in Gaza.
Israel warned that it would resume military operations in Gaza if the exchange did not proceed as planned on Saturday. Under the terms of the deal, Israel is expected to free dozens of Palestinians from prison in exchange for the release of three hostages.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of multiple violations of the agreement, but the agreement has been in effect since its implementation on January 19.
The deal consists of three phases, the current six-week phase is seeing a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. As of Saturday, 24 Israeli hostages have been released since the ceasefire began.
Negotiations on the second phase of the deal have begun, and if agreed, more hostages will be seen and all Israeli forces will be evacuated from Gaza.
In response to the October 7 terrorist attack, Israel launched a 15-month war against Hamas in Gaza that caused militants to kill about 1,200 people and take hostages in southern Israel. According to Hamas on the Palestinian Territory – Ministry of Operations and Health said the war killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza.
Independent analysis from external organizations Estimated death toll Nearly 64,000.
