The Sunni Islamist militant and political organization Hamas released three hostages taken during its rampage in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in exchange for more than 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails on February 15, 2025. Newsweek reported.
Why It Matters
The swap follows days of uncertainty over the ceasefire in Gaza, which began after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza following a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7. The attack killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and took more than 250 hostages, and according to the AP, Israeli operations in response killed more than 48,000 people.
Hamas had earlier said it would not release the hostages this weekend, blaming Israel for violating the ceasefire, in response to which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the attack on Gaza would resume if the hostages were not released by midday Saturday.
Israeli authorities confirmed that Hamas had handed over three hostages on Saturday, February 15, including Lair Horn, 46, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, and Alexander Troufanov, 29, but that an estimated 73 hostages were still being held.
Among the most prominent Palestinian prisoners to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, known as a close associate of militant leader Marwan Barghouti, according to Newsweek.
Saturday saw the latest of five exchanges since Israel began a ceasefire with Hamas on January 19, in which 21 Israeli hostages held by Hamas were returned in exchange for more than 730 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of the ceasefire.
Regarding the release of the Hamas hostages, the Hostage Families Forum said in a statement to Newsweek on Saturday that the return of the trio “represents a moment of light in the darkness, as well as a painful reminder of the urgency to return the 73 hostages still in Gaza.”
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