The hostages have crossed over to Israel, the IDF says.
Report from Tel Aviv, Israel
According to the country’s military, the three hostages released today have crossed over to Israel.
“The hostages returning home are currently heading towards the first reception point in southern Israel where they will be reunited with family members,” the Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement.
These are hostages on the way to Israel
Three hostages released by Hamas:
Sagui Dekel Chen, a 36-year-old American Israeli man, renovated an old bus into a mobile tech classroom for an unserved child, and lived with his wife and two daughters. I was invited by Nir Oz.
He is scheduled to be taken to Sheva Hospital in Israel today. Today, 29-year-old Sasha Alexander Torfanov is a Russian Israeli man who was accused of the family of Kibtznir Oz. His father died prisoner, but his female relative was released last November.
Iair Horn, 46, from Argentina, Israel, was also kidnapped with his brother Eitan Horn, 38, from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He will be taken to Ichilov Hospital.
Hostages transferred to Israeli forces
Report from Tel Aviv, Israel
The three hostages announced today have been transferred to Israeli custody within the Gaza Strip, the country’s military said.
The Israeli Defense Forces said hostages would be taken to Israeli territory where they would receive “first medical evaluations.”
Hostage Square celebrates when the trio is released
The crowd cheered, waving Israeli flags in Tel Aviv’s so-called hostage square, Sagui Dekel Chen, Sasha Alexander Torfanov and IAIR horns were released, and screens handed over to the Red Cross in captivity 16 months later I saw it.
Some people could be seen holding pictures of the hostages released, while others simply jumped on for joy and raised their hands into the sky.
Afterwards, some of the crowd were able to be seen singing in tears. Others hugging quietly around each other around their arms.
Hostages have been transferred to the Red Cross vehicle
Each hostage is led from the stage and transferred to a Red Cross vehicle, where the trio is taken to Israel. This is a drive that will likely take about 30 minutes.
The vehicle departed from the staging area was accompanied by a truck full of armed fighter planes, but civilians held back with cameras and chased after them.
The Israeli military also announced that hostages have been transferred.
Hostages appear and appear on stage along with the fighter planes.
Three hostages, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Alexander Troufanov and Iair Horn, emerged from the white van to cheer from the crowd and were ordered to stage along with many weapon-held fighters.
The trio each appears to have documents and bags, lined up on stage alongside the gunmen. As during last week’s release, they each talk to the crowd, but this time they don’t seem to have been interviewed in person.
The returning hostages appear to be in much better shape than Ohad Ben Ami, who spurred rage and disappointment in Israel, when it was released last week.
Red Cross in stage signature document.
Members of the Red Cross went on stage with the fighter who presented the duo with documents signing the duo, as we saw in previous releases.
Armed Conveyors arrive at hostage release
At least three vehicles have arrived in the staging area prior to the hostage release of Khan Yunis in South Gaza.
One of them, the white van, resembles a vehicle carrying hostages that have returned to a previous release. It was accompanied by trucks carrying many fighter jets carrying guns.
Friends and family await the release of Sagui Dekel-Chen
Report from Giv’ot Bat in southern Israel
The family of about 15 to 20 colleagues, friends and American hostage Sagui Dekel Chen gathered at Giv’ot Bar to watch the release of the 36-year-old today.
There is a bottle of champagne ready to call out to you, but the energy is very mild. The Israeli flag and yellow flag for hostages are tucked into the sofa where everyone is sitting.
All wearing t-shirts, wearing his face, watching Channel 12 on Israeli TV.
The Red Cross arrives at hostage release
The Red Cross vehicle has arrived at the arena at Khan Yunis. Hamas is planning to release three male hostages today.
Videos from the scene showed excited civilians racing and grabbing photos of the convoy and weaving them through the crowd into the square.
Three cars are parked, but no one appears from the vehicle. The Hamas car carrying hostages has not yet arrived.
Many Palestinian fighters gather for hostage release
The scores of the fighters in Al-Kassam and Saraya Al-Kuds Battalion are lined up at the stage where hostage releases are expected to take place today. .
Hundreds of civilians gather together to see today’s handover. There, Sagui Dekel Chen, Sasha Alexander Torfanov and IAIR horn will be released.
Similar to previous releases, Hamas has installed Palestinian flags and banners of Hamas and Islamic jihad in Handover Square. The giant posted to the left of the stage appears to mark the final moments of former Hamas army chief Yahya Sinwar, sitting in a red armchair in a room killed in October.
Hamas banner reads “No transition except Jerusalem.”
The setting of Karn Yunis in Gaza city, founded by Hamas prior to the planned hostage release, is one poster with the words “No transition except in Jerusalem.”
President Donald Trump sparked controversy when the US said it would “take over the Gaza Strip” for development. Trump further said that Palestinians would resettle outside the Gaza Strip under his plan.
In an interview aired Monday on Fox News, Trump was asked that Palestinians have the right to return to the land. “No, it’s not because they have much better housing,” Trump said.
His comments spurred resentment and skepticism from leaders in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
369 Palestinian prisoners are released today as part of the deal
The Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Committee says that 369 Israeli-owned prisoners will be released today as part of the release of the three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The committee said a majority of 333 people were detained from Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
The rest includes 29 from the West Bank and seven from Jerusalem and its suburbs.
Today’s release marks the sixth exchange based on the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Hamas officials say extremist groups will release three hostages today
Hamas releases three hostages: Sagui Dekel Chen, Sasha Alexander Torfanov and IAIR Horn. A spokesman for the extremist group said Friday today.
Hamas’ military division spokesman Abu Obaida, Al-Kassam Brigade, told NBC News on Friday that Hamas would release three hostages in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire deal he broke with Israel on January 19.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed in an official statement on Friday that Israel had “received” Hamas’ names list.
Dekel-Chen, 36, is an American Israeli man who has renovated an old bus into a mobile tech classroom for hardworking children. He was lured by Kibbutz nil Oz, where he lived with his wife and their two daughters.
Read the full story here.
