Updated February 15, 2025 at 07:52 AM ET
TEL AVIV, Israel — In a ceremony surrounded by masked Palestinian militants and rubble from the Gaza war, Hamas released three Israeli hostages holding U.S., Russian and Argentinian citizenships on Saturday.
It was the sixth group of hostages freed as part of a fragile ceasefire deal that nearly collapsed this week between the Palestinian militant group and Israel. In exchange for the released hostages, Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The three male civilian hostages released are Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, Alexander Trupanov, a 29-year-old dual Russian-Israeli citizen, and Yair Horn, a 46-year-old dual Argentinian-Israeli.
The hostages were brought onto a stage, where a slogan on a large poster alluded to President Trump's plan to transfer Gaza's entire population to neighboring countries. "No migration except to Jerusalem," it said.
The three hostages, flanked by Hamas gunmen and holding gift bags and Palestinian maps, gave short speeches in Hebrew calling for the ceasefire deal to continue for the release of the remaining hostages, before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis, a city in south Gaza. Israelis gathered in a Tel Aviv square, watching the hostage release live on a large screen.
"None of us can begin to heal until the hostages are home and, again, as a consequence of that, allowing the people of Gaza to resume something that resembles normal life," Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of Sagui, told NPR last month.
Hundreds of Palestinians were freed by Israel
Among the 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed by Israel on Saturday are 36 who were serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, convicted in connection with deadly attacks against Israelis including suicide bombings in the early 2000s.
The most prominent prisoner released is Ahmed Barghouti. In Israeli prison for more than 22 years, he was convicted for coordinating deadly attacks on Israelis during the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s known as the Second Intifada. He served as the top aide of Marwan Barghouti, considered the leader of the Palestinian uprising and the most senior Palestinian prisoner in Israel.
Israel's prison services released photos of prisoners ahead of their release, standing in rows and crouching on their knees, dressed in white sweatshirts adorned with blue Stars of David and a slogan in Arabic: "We will not forget and we will not forgive." Israeli forces came to the homes of released prisoners in Jerusalem, prohibiting celebratory gatherings, and Palestinian medical services said several released prisoners were taken to hospitals for medical care.
Those released included 333 Gazans who were arrested by Israeli forces during the recent war and were sent back to Gaza — the largest group of Palestinians to be returned to Gaza by Israel following more than 15 months of war. Other Gazan detainees continue to remain in Israeli custody, including Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, the director of a hospital in northern Gaza, who was arrested by Israeli troops during a December incursion into the hospital, where Israel said it apprehended militants.
There were questions earlier this week about whether or not Saturday's release would go ahead, after a dispute between Hamas and Israel threatened to derail the ceasefire deal. Hamas had said it would delay the release, alleging ceasefire violations by Israel, which Israel denied. Arab mediators helped resolve the dispute.
Hamas says in the coming days it expects Israel to allow the entry into Gaza of mobile homes for Palestinians whose homes were destroyed in the war, heavy machinery for clearing rubble, and more aid as part of the agreement made in this deal.
There is concern about the conditions of hostages
There remains concern about the fate of the 73 hostages remaining in Gaza. Israel says as many as half of them are believed to be dead.
Among the hostages still in captivity is Eitan Horn, whose brother Yair was released Saturday. He is expected to be released only in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, though there is uncertainty if and when such a phase would take place.
More information has emerged about the conditions the hostages endured. Last week, three male Israeli hostages who were released were frail and gaunt — appearing to be in worse condition than previous hostages Hamas released.
Keith Siegel, a dual American-Israeli released this month, said in his first public comments on Friday that he had been abused by his Gaza captors and held without water or sunlight when the Gaza war intensified.
"I was held for 484 days in unimaginable conditions, and every single day felt like it could be my last," he said in a video statement. He credited President Trump with his release.
"President Trump, you are the reason I am home alive," Siegel said. "Your leadership and strength will ensure the agreement is honored by all sides."
Hamas had initially threatened to delay the hostages' release
The Palestinian militant group had initially announced it would delay the hostage release earlier this week. It said Israel had violated the ceasefire by not ensuring enough temporary homes for displaced Palestinians and opening fire in parts of Gaza. Israel said Hamas was violating the deal by threatening to delay the hostage release, and suggested the sides could return to war.
Adding further pressure, Trump said all of the Israeli hostages in Gaza should be released by noon on Saturday or else the ceasefire should end and "all hell is going to break out." Trump has also angered Hamas with a plan for the U.S. to take over Gaza and relocate the enclave's residents to neighboring countries.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar worked in recent days to resolve the Israel-Hamas dispute and prevent the resumption of a deadly war for Palestinians and Israelis which devastated Gaza for more than 15 months. Hamas said in a statement the talks were "positive" and that it remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited Trump's ultimatum, and Israel's subsequent troop buildup in Gaza, for pressuring Hamas to release the hostages as initially scheduled.
The future of the ceasefire deal is uncertain
An official familiar with the details and not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that Israel is pressing for the release of additional hostages in the coming days.
The official said that talks to hammer out details for the next phase of the ceasefire have not yet begun. Those talks should have started more than a week ago according to the ceasefire agreement.
Next week, representatives of Arab countries will convene in Saudi Arabia to discuss counter proposals to Trump's plan for the U.S. to take over Gaza and displace Gaza's population.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire last month, there have been five rounds of exchanges, freeing a total of 16 Israeli hostages and more than 670 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Five Thai hostages who had been working in Israel as agricultural laborers at the time of their capture were also released, although they were not part of the deal.
Hamas has agreed to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees by the end of the initial phase of the ceasefire on March 2.
Thousands of Palestinians poured north in Gaza after the ceasefire began, many on foot, returning to houses and apartment buildings destroyed in fighting that has seen more than 47,000 Palestinians killed, according to Gaza health authorities.
The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants from Hamas and other groups broke through the border with Israel and killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Yanal Jabarin in Jerusalem, Itay Stern in Tel Aviv, Abu Bakr Bashir in London, Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo and Nuha Musleh in Ramallah contributed to this report.
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