Hamas has announced the names of three Israeli hostages set to be released in a weekend trade for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, signaling a positive development in the Gaza ceasefire deal. The hostages to be freed are Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen, and Israeli-Russian Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, who were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of the ceasefire terms, Israel will release over 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three hostages, marking the sixth swap since the ceasefire came into effect on Jan. 19. The ceasefire, which had faced challenges recently, is now showing signs of holding.
