Three Israeli Hostages Freed in Exchange for 369 Palestinian Prisoners Under Ceasefire Deal

Gaza: Three Israeli hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees under the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The hostages—American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexandre Troufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn—were freed in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as part of the sixth exchange under the truce. They were seen exiting vehicles surrounded by militants before being ushered onto a stage, where they briefly addressed the crowd.

Compared to previous hostage releases, the three men appeared in better health. Horn was seen carrying small hourglasses, while Troufanov faced difficulty climbing down the stairs.

Ahead of the exchange, armed militants gathered in Gaza near the house of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israel in October. Images showed masked fighters carrying weapons, with banners displaying slogans, including one reading, “No migration except to Jerusalem,” seemingly directed at US policies regarding Palestinian displacement.

Soon after the exchange, the Israeli Prison Service confirmed the release of 369 Palestinian detainees—the largest number freed under the truce so far. The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that 333 of them had been arrested in Gaza following the October 7 attack. Buses transported the detainees through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Rafah, heading toward a hospital in Khan Younis, where crowds awaited them.

Additionally, 36 Palestinians were released to the occupied West Bank, though 24 of them were later exiled to Egypt. Reports indicate that some of the freed prisoners were made to wear uniforms inscribed with the phrase “We will not forget, and we will not forgive,” alongside a Star of David—an act condemned by Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as a “flagrant violation of international and humanitarian laws.” Videos later showed the released detainees burning the uniforms in protest.