Hamas Releases 3 Hostages, Including 1 American, as Fragile Ceasefire Holds
Sasha Troufanov, Iair Horn, and Sagui Dekel-Chen, a dual citizen of Israel and the US, reunited with their families after 498 days in Hamas captivity
After 498 days in Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad captivity, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov, and Iair Horn returned to Israel Saturday morning. Just as previous hostages were, the three were forced to participate in a Hamas propaganda ceremony before being released. The men appeared weak and pale but less visibly emaciated than those who were released the previous week.
The ceasefire deal through which the three were released nearly collapsed earlier this week when Hamas said it was delaying further releases because of alleged Israel violations of the ceasefire. US President Donald Trump threatened that “hell would break loose” if hostages were not released according to the deal; even on Friday morning, after Hamas had committed to releasing the captives, President Trump said he would “take a very hard stance” against Hamas.
“I can’t tell you what Israel is going to do,” the president continued.
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The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement on Saturday attributing Hamas’ continued participation in the hostage release deal to President Trump’s harsh rhetoric. “Hamas attempted to violate the agreement and create a false crisis under false claims. Due to the concentration of our forces inside the strip and around it, and to President Trump’s clear and unequivocal statement, Hamas backed down, and the release of the hostages proceeded,” the statement read.
Dekel-Chen, Horn, and Troufanov were all abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Dekel-Chen, a dual Israeli-American citizen, is a member of the kibbutz. Upon his release, he learned from a Red Cross representative that his wife had given birth to a baby two months after he was taken hostage. According to Israel’s Channel 12 news, when asked how his health was by the Red Cross representative, he responded, “I’m great—I have a daughter.”
Horn was abducted from the kibbutz while there to see his brother Eitan, who was also taken hostage that day and remains in captivity. Eitan Horn is not slated for release in this stage of the hostage deal.
In a statement put out after Iair Horn’s return, the Horn family wrote, “Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza. Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe.”
Troufanov was also on the kibbutz to visit family on October 7, 2023. His mother, grandmother, and girlfriend were all taken hostage and released in an earlier deal. His father was also killed, which Troufanov learned only upon his release. Unlike Dekel-Chen and Horn, who were held by Hamas, Troufanov was held by the rival Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.
The release ceremony was held on a stage adorned with Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian messages in Hebrew, Arabic, and English. One striking message read “No migration except to Jerusalem”—an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s residents to neighboring countries. An hourglass was placed on the stage along with an image of the hostage Matan Zangauker, who is not slated for release, and the words “Time is running out.”
During the ceremony, the three men were made to address the crowd. Each urged Israel to ensure the release of all the hostages still in captivity. The men were also given presents by their captors, including a map of the purported borders of Palestine.
