Hamas hands over 3 Israeli hostages to Red Cross in Gaza
Masked Hamas militants handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Yunis on Saturday, as part of the sixth hostage-prisoner swap under a truce with Israel, an AFP journalist reported.
Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov and Israeli-Argentinian Yair Horn were paraded on the stage and told to address the crowd before their handover to the Red Cross.
The three men clutched gift bags given by their captors and a certificate to mark the end of their captivity. Flanked by fighters brandishing assault rifles, the captives spoke on a microphone to the crowds and urged the completion of further hostage exchanges under the ongoing ceasefire deal.
The majority of the freed Palestinians were taken to Gaza, although some were taken to the West Bank.
In both areas, crowds gathered to welcome the former prisoners.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society told the BBC that five of those released in the West Bank city of Ramallah were taken straight to hospital.
“They all have chronic illnesses,” said Mohammad Faqih, an official from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, adding that one man had a broken leg.
Most of the 36 Palestinians serving life sentences will reportedly be deported to Egypt.
Earlier this week, Hamas threatened to delay the hostage release after accusing Israel of violating the terms of the agreement, something Israel denied.
Israel, backed by US President Donald Trump, said “intense” fighting would resume unless the hostages were handed over.
The latest releases mean that under the ceasefire, Hamas is due to free another 14 hostages.
However Israel says eight are of them are dead, meaning six living Israelis are still expected to be returned in the first phase.
A total of 141 hostages have now been freed, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals released as part of a previous deal between Israel and Hamas.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken back to Gaza as hostages when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.
This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
By Agencies
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