After a week of tensions with Israel, Hamas released three new Israeli hostages this Saturday morning in exchange for the release of more than 300 Palestinian prisoners.
Three new Israeli hostages selected hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 were released this Saturday morning. The Israeli army said it was sheltered. Shortly before a convoy of the Red Cross International Committee had left Khan Younès, in the south of the Gaza Strip, with on board Sacha Trupanov, Russian-Israeli, Yaïr Horn, Israeli-Argentinian, and Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli-American.
As with the other hostages released previously, the three men were first exhibited on a scene by their jailers and were forced to say a few words in the microphone in front of a crowd of onlookers.
This release comes as the fragile ceasefire in Gaza almost collapsed earlier this week.
In exchange for these three Israelis, the truce agreement provides for the release of more than 300 Palestinians detained in Israel. The best known of them is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, close collaborator of the militant leader and emblematic Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti.
Almost all of the 73 remaining Israeli hostages are men, including soldiers. Almost half of them are said to have died according to TSAhal.
Since January 19, five exchanges have taken place since the start of the ceasefire. In total, 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners were released.
War could resume If no agreement is concluded on the second phasemore complex, which provides for the return of all the hostages captured during the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023 and an indefinite extension of the truce.
