Hamas’s armed wing spokesperson has named the three Israeli hostages to be released on Saturday as Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn and Alexandre Sasha Troufanov.
A statement from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel accepted the list.Hamas said Israel was expected to release 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday in exchange for the three Israeli hostages named earlier.
Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, 46, Israeli-Russian Alexandre (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, and Israeli-American Sagui Dekel Chen, 36 were all abducted from the kibbutz Nir Oz, where about 80 of roughly 400 residents were taken hostage in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack.
Horn, was kidnapped along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who was staying with him at the time. Eitan Horn remains a hostage.
Chen was outside working on a bus renovation when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife, Avital, hid in the safe room with their two daughters. Avital was seven months pregnant and gave birth to a third daughter, Shachar Mazal, in December, while her husband was in captivity.
Sasha Troufanov was taken hostage along with three members of his family: grandmother Irena Tati, mother Yelena (Lena) and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen. Sasha’s father, Vitaly Trufanov, was killed on 7 October 2023. The rest of his family was released in a brief ceasefire period in November 2023.
The Hostages Families Forum said on Friday that it welcomed the “joyous news” of the three men’s impending release.
Saudi Arabia will host the leaders of four Arab countries at a summit on 20 February to discuss Donald Trump’s proposal for a US takeover of Gaza, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports, citing a source with knowledge of the preparations.
The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will attend the summit, which will take place ahead of an Arab League meeting in Cairo on 27 February on the same issue, the source said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another source said the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, would also attend.