Hamas Names 3 More Israeli Hostages to Be Freed From Gaza

This combination of images provided by Hostages Family Forum shows Iair Horn, Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov and Sagui Dekel Chen, who all were abducted and brought to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Hostages Family Forum via AP

JERUSALEM—Hamas named three Israeli hostages on Friday it will release in a weekend trade for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the latest sign that the shaky Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be holding in spite of a tense dispute that has threatened to renew fighting.

The terrorist group and a forum representing the families of hostages identified the three men set to be freed Saturday as Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, 46; Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Israeli-Russian Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29. The trio were abducted from one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the devastating war.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to release more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in its jails in return for the three hostages. It will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.

So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce. But the ceasefire had appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas had said it would delay the next release after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble.

Israel has said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed — leaving it unclear whether it meant the three hostages as scheduled in the ceasefire deal, or all remaining hostages, as U.S. President Donald Trump demanded earlier this week.

An Israeli government official on Friday confirmed Israel had received the list of hostages to be released. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The Hamas-linked prisoners’ information office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons in the exchange. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences.

Who Are the Hostages Slated for Release Saturday

Horn, Dekel Chen and Troufanov were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where some 80 of roughly 400 residents were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack.

Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity.

Dekel Chen had been working on a bus renovation when terrorists stormed the kibbutz. His wife, Avital, who was seven months pregnant at the time, hid in a safe room with their two daughters. Avital gave birth to their third daughter in December 2023.

Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother, Irena Tati; mother, Yelena (Lena); and girlfriend, Sapir Cohen. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov’s father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.

Concern About Remaining Hostages’ Condition

Of the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.

Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages’ condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail.

One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said in a video message addressed to Trump Friday that his captors had treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light. The statement marked one of the first accounts of Hamas captivity from a hostage released during the ceasefire.

Siegel, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, implored Trump to use his “leadership and strength” to ensure the ceasefire holds and all hostages return home.

The truce faces a much bigger challenge in the coming weeks. The deal’s first phase is set to conclude at the beginning of March, and there have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.

Trump’s Plan

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt.

His plan has been welcomed by Israel’s government, but rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries which have refused to accept any influx of refugees.

Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The terrorist group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.