Three Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Sasha Troufanov arrived at a release site in Gaza, on Saturday.
Their release came after mediation from Egypt and Qatar, transpiring before a confrontation leading to the collapse of a tenuous ceasefire.
Surveillance footage depicted the three present on a makeshift stage in Khan Younis with militants brandishing automatic weapons at their sides.
They were released as part of a swap for the 369 Palestinian inmates and detainees, which alleviated fears that the ceasefire may collapse.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, people clapped and wept at the announcement. that the Red Cross was evacuating the three to Israeli personnel.
Observers noted they appeared in better condition than three hostages freed last week, who looked weak and malnourished.
Dekel-Chen, an American-Israeli, and Troufanov, an Israeli-Russian, were held in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Horn’s brother, Eitan, was also kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault.
Nir Oz was one of the most severely affected regions in which one in four residents died or was abducted.
Hamas deployed dozens of armed militants at the release site, some carrying rifles reportedly taken from Israeli forces.
Troufanov was, along with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend, released as part of the November 2023 truce.
His father was killed in the attack. Hamas has threatened to stop releases in the past, alleging Israel has been impeding humanitarian relief.
Whereas, Israel denied this and put its troops on full alert.
Protests in Israel accompanied news of abuse of former captives, threatening the government into negotiating the ceasefire.
Islamic Jihad, who captured Troufanov, released a video of him eating and fishing, possibly undertaken to disprove allegations of ill-treatment.
In the meantime, ceasefire talks were thwarted by Donald Trump’s inflammatory suggestion to move Palestinians out of Gaza.
Moreover, this measure roundly disapproved of by Palestinian factions and world leaders.
Moreover, under the ceasefire, three Israeli hostages were set free in Gaza.
Both the countries, Israel and Palestine are anticipated to release more hostages under the ceasefire.
