Hamas freed three extra Israeli hostages on Saturday as Israel launched 369 Palestinian prisoners, prolonging a fragile cease-fire within the Gaza Strip that seemed to be teetering solely days in the past.
The hostages — Alexander Troufanov, 29, often known as Sasha; Iair Horn, 46; and Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, one of many few Individuals nonetheless held in Gaza — had been noticeably thinner and paler after spending 16 months in captivity. They’d been kidnapped from the Israeli border village of Nir Oz in the course of the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, 2023, that ignited the struggle in Gaza.
However they didn’t seem as emaciated because the three hostages launched final Saturday, whose situation prompted outrage and horror in Israel.
Palestinian militants as soon as once more used the trade, the sixth carried out below the primary section of the cease-fire, to stage a present meant to display that they nonetheless dominate Gaza, regardless of Israel’s devastating bombardment and floor invasion in response to the 2023 assault.
Dozens of gun-toting fighters affiliated with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad compelled Mr. Troufanov, Mr. Horn and Mr. Dekel-Chen to mount a stage within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis and to provide speeches in Hebrew, with portraits of Hamas leaders on the stage behind them.
About The Author
