Hamas Frees 3 Israeli Hostages for 369 Palestinian Prisoners

A Tense Dispute Had Threatened to Sink the Ongoing Truce That Began Nearly Four Weeks Ago

- ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday, and Israeli forces began releasing hundreds of prisoners in return, in the latest indication that a fragile ceasefire that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip but had teetered in recent days is holding.

Militants in the southern Gaza Strip paraded the three hostages—Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29—before a crowd before releasing them.

All had been abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a community that was hard-hit in the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.