Hamas due to release three Israeli hostages after fears over ceasefirepublished at 06:18 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Hostages and Missing Families ForumAlexander Troufanov (left), Yair Horn (centre) and Sagui Dekel-Chen (right) were taken from the same kibbutz
We’re expecting Hamas to release three Israeli hostages today – and, in return, Israel free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The names of the Israelis being freed were confirmed by Hamas yesterday – Alexander Troufanov, Yair Horn and Sagui Dekel-Chen.
In return, 369 Palestinian prisoners will be let out of Israeli jails – 36 who have life sentences and 333 from the Gaza Strip who were detained without charges after 7 October, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office.
Today’s scheduled release comes after days of fears over the Gaza ceasefire, which began last month. On Monday, Hamas said it would not release the hostages, accusing Israel of breaching the ceasefire.
In return, Israel said it would resume attacks on Gaza if hostages were not released
In last week’s release, the three male hostages were paraded in front of crowds in Gaza, with concerns later raised for their health.
A short while after, 183 Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails. Again, concerns were raised following reports some needed hospital treatment.
We’ll bring you all the latest as today’s handover unfolds – including from our teams on the ground.