The BBC is reporting that Hamas has freed three Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in the latest swap under the ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and the militant group last month.
The three Israeli hostages handed over on Saturday are American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, 29.
In return, 369 Palestinians held in Israeli jails were released, according to the report by the BBC.
So far, 19 hostages have been held in Gaza, and over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed as part of the Gaza ceasefire that began on 19 January 2025.
The Israeli hostages were handed over in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Surrounded by heavily armed Hamas militants, the men briefly addressed a crowd of Palestinians before being transferred into Red Cross vehicles. The released three men were airlifted by military helicopters to a hospital in central Israel, where they will undergo medical tests and be reunited with relatives.
The majority of the freed Palestinians were taken to Gaza, with some taken to the West Bank. Crowds gathered in both areas 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.
Hamas threatened to delay the hostage release after accusing Israel of violating the terms of the agreement earlier this week, something Israel denied.
Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas is due to free another 14 hostages, given the latest releases. Israel says eight of those to be released 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.
The BBC reports that about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken back to Gaza as hostages when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, triggering a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
