Hamas frees 3 hostages, Israel releases hundreds of prisoners as fragile ceasefire holds

Hamas militants released three male Israeli hostages on Saturday and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return after Egyptian and Qatari mediators helped avert a standoff that threatened to sink a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Sasha Troufanov arrived at a release site and were led onto a stage with men armed with automatic rifles standing on each side of them in Khan Younis, live footage showed.

Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old American Israeli, Troufanov, a 29-year-old Russian Israeli, and Horn, a 46-year-old Argentinian Israeli whose brother Eitan was also abducted, were seized in Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities around the Gaza Strip that was overrun by Hamas gunmen on Oct. 7, 2023.

Dozens of armed militants were deployed at the site of the release.

Some Hamas fighters at the site were carrying rifles seized from the Israeli military during the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas sources said.

Troufanov was kidnapped with his mother, grandmother and girlfriend, all of whom were released in the brief November 2023 truce. His father was killed in the attack on Nir Oz, one of the worst hit communities, where one in four people either died or were taken hostage.

Hamas had earlier threatened not to release more hostages after it accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire by blocking aid from entering Gaza, drawing counterthreats of a resumption of fighting from Israel, which called up reservists and placed its forces on high alert.

The emaciated appearance of three hostages released last week and accounts of abuse by other hostages released since Jan. 19 when the ceasefire took effect has set off Israeli protests demanding that the government stick to the ceasefire and proceed with the next stage of the deal to bring all the hostages home.

In an apparent effort to head off some of the criticism of hostage mistreatment, Islamic Jihad, the militant group that is allied with Hamas and was holding Troufanov, released a video of him on Friday, showing him eating and fishing at the Gaza beach.

In return for the hostages' release, Israel began releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 36 serving life sentences over deadly attacks.

A bus carrying the first released prisoners arrived in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia and was greeted by a cheering crowd of relatives and supporters. Some appeared gaunt, and the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said four were immediately taken for medical treatment.

It's hoped the swap will ease fears that the exchange agreement could collapse before the end of a 42-day ceasefire.

Prospects for the ceasefire surviving have also been clouded by U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Palestinians to be moved permanently out of Gaza, and for the enclave to be turned over to the United States to be redeveloped. That call was strongly rejected by Palestinian groups, Arab states and Western allies.

"Trump's threats don't scare us and we won't listen to him," said Umm Muhammad Abu Al-Rus, 46, who watched the handover in Khan Younis.