Hamas released three more hostages on Saturday in exchange for more than 300 Palestinian prisoners as part of the delicate ceasefire agreement reached with Israel.
The hostages released were Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29; Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Iair Horn, 46. Troufanov has Israeli and Russian citizenship, Dekel-Chen is an American-Israeli and Horn is a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina.
The three were abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz in the terror group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel that sparked the war in Gaza now under ceasefire.
Israeli authorities confirmed they received the three hostages on Saturday after Hamas released them to the Red Cross. They appeared pale and worn but appeared to be in better physical condition than the three men released a week ago.
HAMAS TO FREE ANOTHER AMERICAN IN SATURDAY HOSTAGE RELEASE
The Red Cross transported the three hostages to Israeli forces.
The Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency confirmed in a statement that the hostages had crossed into Israeli territory.
"A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the returning hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory," the statement said. "The returning hostages are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with members of their families."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office reacted to the return of the hostages.
"Today, three of our hostages have been returned to Israel: Yair Horn, Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, and Sagui Dekel-Chen," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. "We welcome them with a warm hug. We have prepared for their return and, together with their families, will support their recovery after the long and agonizing days in captivity."
The Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli jails as part of the sensitive ceasefire agreement, which has continued to hold even after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas does not release all the remaining hostages this week. Trump has also said he is committed to the U.S. purchasing and taking over Gaza and resettling Palestinians elsewhere.
Hamas also said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of violating their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble, but the hostages were released on time and the ceasefire remains in place. Israel said it would resume fighting if hostages were not freed.
"This week, Hamas once again attempted to violate the agreement and create a fabricated crisis with false claims," Netanyahu's office said. "Thanks to the deployment of our forces inside and around the Gaza Strip, and due to President Trump's clear and unequivocal statement, Hamas backed down, and the hostage release continued. We are working in full coordination with the United States to rescue all our hostages—both the living and the dead—as quickly as possible, and we are fully prepared for what lies ahead, in every respect."
About 70 hostages remain in Hamas custody. Nearly all the remaining hostages, including Israeli soldiers, are men and about half are believed to be dead.
In the first phase of the ceasefire, 24 hostages and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released so far. The first phase includes Hamas' release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The war could resume if no agreement is reached on the more complicated second phase, which calls for Hamas to release all remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the ceasefire. Hamas may be unwilling to free any more hostages if it believes the war will resume.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.