Israel has officially named the three hostages scheduled to be released from Gaza on Saturday as part of the ongoing exchange deal with Palestinian militant groups. This will mark the sixth round of swaps between hostages and Palestinian prisoners under the temporary ceasefire agreement that came into effect last month.
The three individuals expected to be freed are Sagui Dekel-Chen, an American-Israeli citizen, Alexandre Troufanov, a Russian-Israeli national, and Iair Horn, an Argentinian-Israeli. Their release is anticipated to be followed by the return of 369 Palestinian detainees from Israeli custody, according to Hamas’ Prisoner Media Office.
Troufanov, who was 27 at the time of his capture, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian militants. His family was also deeply affected—his grandmother Irena Tati, his mother Lena Troufanov, and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen were kidnapped along with him but were later released in a previous exchange. Tragically, his father, Vitaly Troufanov, was killed in the attack.
Troufanov was taken by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant group separate from Hamas, which has since released multiple videos showing him in captivity.
Dekel-Chen, 35, was seized while defending his home in Nir Oz from the Hamas-led assault. His wife, Avital, was pregnant with their third child at the time of the attack. She later gave birth while he remained in captivity, and their daughter recently celebrated her first birthday in his absence.
Horn, 46, was also captured during the October 7 assault on Nir Oz. His brother, Eitan Horn, was taken hostage as well and remains in captivity.
The announcement of the hostages' release follows a period of heightened tensions between Hamas and Israel regarding the terms of the ceasefire. Earlier in the week, Hamas threatened to delay the scheduled exchange, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. However, on Thursday, both parties appeared to have resolved their differences, allowing the exchange to proceed as planned.
The situation was further complicated by remarks from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested scrapping the multi-phase structure of the hostage deal in favor of issuing Hamas an ultimatum to release all hostages immediately. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded cautiously, supporting the idea that hostages should be returned but stopping short of fully endorsing Trump’s stance. Instead, Netanyahu issued a vague warning:
“Hamas must return our hostages by Saturday noon,” he stated, without specifying a number. “If not, the military will resume intense combat operations until Hamas is completely defeated.”
The Israeli government has reiterated that the ceasefire in Gaza will only continue if at least three hostages are returned by noon on Saturday. David Mencer, a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office, emphasized that the return of all captives remains a primary objective but warned that failure to release the designated individuals could lead to an immediate end to the ceasefire.
As pressure mounts for the return of all remaining captives, former hostages have shared their harrowing experiences. Keith Siegel, an Israeli-American who was recently freed after 484 days in captivity, made a direct plea to former President Trump in a video message:
“Every day felt like it could be my last,” Siegel said. “President Trump, you are the reason I am home alive. Please bring them home.”
Another former hostage, Or Levy, visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Friday, stating that although he has been freed, many others remain trapped in Gaza under dire conditions.
“I still have many brothers and sisters in the hell of Gaza,” he said. “And their time is running out.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has been overseeing the hostage-prisoner exchanges, expressed deep concern over the treatment of those still held captive.
“The recent release operations underscore the urgent need for ICRC access to all remaining hostages,” the organization said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “We continue to urge that all releases and transfers be conducted in a safe and dignified manner.”
Israel has strongly criticized the way Hamas has handled previous hostage releases, accusing the group of using the freed captives as political propaganda. In some instances, hostages have been paraded before large crowds, flanked by armed militants in a public show of force.
At the same time, released Palestinian prisoners have reported harsh conditions during their detention. Rula Hassanein, a former Palestinian prisoner, told CNN that detainees were forced to watch a 90-second Israeli propaganda video repeatedly for hours before being released. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) denied knowledge of these allegations.
So far, 16 out of 33 Israeli hostages scheduled for release in the current phase have been freed, along with five Thai nationals. On the Palestinian side, 656 prisoners out of nearly 2,000 have been released under the ceasefire agreement.
With the situation remaining volatile, all eyes are on the upcoming exchange to see whether it will proceed as planned—or if renewed tensions will derail the fragile ceasefire.