Hamas releases 3 other hostages including American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, while Gaza lasts fire

The American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, was among the three hostages that Hamas announced on Saturday morning after being held almost a year and a half in a captivity in Gaza. The other two hostages handed over to the Red Cross staff in the southern city of Gazi Khan Younis were Isiers Sasha Troofanov, 29, and IAIR HORN, 46.

Men were led to the stage by Hamas operatives in Khan Younis, everyone walks without obvious serious injuries, and read statements, but Israeli television did not broadcast the sound of remarks.

Israeli defense forces confirmed shortly after the Red Cross transferred the men to IDF and that they had crossed the border of Gaza to Israel.

“The hostages returning are currently on their way to the starting point of reception in South Israel, where they will reunite with their family members,” the IDF statement said. “

All three men were abducted during Hamas’s terrorist attack on 7. October 2023from Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border with Gaza, where they lived. Two held Hamas, and one was held by the other militant group in Gaza, Islamic jihad.

Dekel -che worked at the Nir Oz machine shop when Hamas performed an attack on October 7th. He faced terrorists and took hostages, according to the forum of hostages and missing families, which represents the families of the people who were seized that day.

His father, Jonathan, who lives in New York, told CBS News in September 2024. That Dekel-Chen “is the father of three girls”, the youngest of whom he has not yet met.

“His seven-month-old wife, who survived miraculously with their two girls on October 7th,” Jonathan Dekel-Chen told CBS “Face the Nation” at the time. On Saturday, the IDF posted a photo of Sagui once united with his wife Avital.

Troofanov, an engineer in Amazon, moved into Israel from the Soviet Union, the Forum said. His father was killed during an October 7th. His grandmother, mother and girlfriend were taken hostage, but were then released as part of the previous hostage exchange with Hamas in November 2023.

Horn, 46, was born in Argentina and was abducted together with his brother Eitan on October 7th. Eitan remains in captivity, according to the forum of hostages and missing families.

“The shocking footage of the Sabbath survivors from Saturday and the latest signs of life prove that time is running out for those still trapped,” the forum said on Friday. “We must achieve a comprehensive and immediate agreement, without emptiness or delay, to bring all hostages back – life for rehabilitation and the deceased for proper burial.”

Hamas said Thursday that they will continue to release hostage according to the terms of tribute and release on the hostage with Israel after saying a few days earlier That he will postpone the scheduled Saturday, accusing Israel of breach of the agreement.

Hamas, who ruled over Gaza for almost two decades, but has long been named the terrorist organization of Israel and the United States, accused Israel on Monday, not managing to provide housing and other basic needs for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel warned that if the exchange on Saturday did not continue as planned, the military operations in Gaza would continue. According to the terms of the agreement, it was expected that Israel would release dozens of more Palestinians from their prison in exchange for the edition of three hostages.

Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of repeating the agreement repeatedly, but that remained in force since his implementation began on January 19.

The deal consists of three stages, and the current six -week first phase is to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Since Saturday, 24 of Israel’s hostages has been released from the beginning of the truce.

Negotiations for the second phase of the agreement began, which, if agreed, would see even more hostages and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Gaza.

Israel launched a 15-month war against Hamas in Gaza in response to a terrorist attack on October 7, in which he saw that militants were killing about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 other hostages. The war killed more than 48,000 people in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health in Palestinian territory.

Independent analyzes of external organizations have estimated the number of deaths closer to 64,000.