Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Swap: Hostages and Prisoners Exchanged

Hamas has released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners, as part of a ceasefire deal that has seen 19 hostages and over 1,000 Palestinian inmates freed since January 19.

The hostages—American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, 29—were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis before being airlifted to Israel for medical checks and family reunions. Horn's brother Eitan remains in captivity.

The release follows Hamas’ temporary suspension of the swap, accusing Israel of violating the deal—an allegation Israel denied. Israel, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, warned of resumed fighting if hostages were not freed.

The freed Palestinians were welcomed in Gaza and the West Bank, with some requiring medical treatment. Among them, 36 serving life sentences are reportedly set to be deported to Egypt.

So far, 141 hostages have been freed, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals. Israel says Hamas still holds 14 more hostages under the ceasefire terms, but eight are believed to be dead.

The conflict began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. 

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.