Jerusalem: Hamas named three hostages who are set to be released on Saturday as part of a deal with Israel. The hostages are Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn and US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen. Their release comes amid fears about the ceasefire’s future, which has been strained by accusations from both sides.
Israeli government warned that bombing in Gaza will resume if the hostages are not released on time. This follows Hamas’s announcement of delays in the release process, which it blames on alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire terms.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire should end unless Hamas releases all hostages held in Gaza by midday on Saturday. Trump criticized the current process of freeing captives in “drips and drabs,” calling it unacceptable. He added that if all hostages are not freed immediately, “all hell must break out.” Referring to this as an “appropriate time,” Trump urged the cancellation of the ceasefire if Hamas does not release every hostage held in Gaza.
Background of conflict
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel began a military offensive in Gaza, which led to death of more than 48,230 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas.
Currently, 73 hostages taken during the October 7 attack remain in Gaza. Additionally, three other Israeli hostages, one of whom is deceased, have been held in Gaza for over a decade.
The three hostages expected to be released on Saturday – Alexander Troufanov, Yair Horn, and Sagui Dekel-Chen – were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, as reported by BBC News.
Strained ceasefire
Since the ceasefire began on January 19, 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages have been freed in exchange for 766 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Over the first six weeks of the truce, a total of 33 hostages are expected to be released in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian detainees.
Israel expressed anger over how Hamas publicly displayed hostages before handing them over to the Red Cross. These displays often include gunmen and large crowds.
Hamas, on the other hand, accused Israel of failing to provide sufficient humanitarian aid, including tents and aid trucks, under the terms of the ceasefire. Israel denied these allegations.
Tensions remain high, with Israeli military releasing footage of a rocket fired from Gaza on Thursday. According to Israel, the rocket malfunctioned and landed back in Gaza. However, Hamas claimed it was an unexploded Israeli shell that accidentally went off while being moved.
On the same day, a 14-year-old boy, Hammoudeh Alaa Saud, reportedly died from an explosion in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. Palestinian agency Wafa blamed the incident on Israeli ordnance.
