Three Israeli hostages— Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Sasha Troufanov— are slated for release on Saturday. These individuals were abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, from the Nir Oz kibbutz near Gaza. This development comes at a time when the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas stands on shaky ground due to alleged violations by Israel, causing Hamas to announce an indefinite delay in the release of the hostages.
The ongoing conflict has seen a total of 19 Israelis exchanged for approximately 1,100 Palestinians. The hostages were held by both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In the initial phase of the hostage release, 14 hostages were freed, with six alive and eight deceased. The second phase of the release is scheduled to begin on March 1, with plans to release all remaining hostages and prisoners. As part of this process, Israel is expected to complete its military withdrawal from Gaza.
However, the truce agreement's integrity has been called into question amid accusations against Israel of violating the terms. This situation has led to heightened tensions, with Hamas postponing the release of the next three hostages indefinitely.
In a surprising turn, U.S. President Donald Trump recently made territorial claims over Gaza, proposing that the United States would assume possession of Gaza and transform it into a "Riviera" resort coastline. This proposal demands the ethnic cleansing of Gaza's 2.2 million Palestinian residents. Both Egypt and Jordan have declared their unwillingness to accommodate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by such a move.
The recent release of an Israeli-American hostage, Keith Siegel, two weeks ago brought to light the harrowing conditions faced by captives. Siegel recounted his ordeal, shedding light on the grim reality of captivity.
“I was held for 484 days in unimaginable conditions, every single day felt like it could be my last,” – Keith Siegel
Further intensifying outrage were the reports of three hostages released last week in a frail and emaciated state. This has drawn condemnation from Israel and global human rights organizations. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has played a pivotal role in facilitating these exchanges, has voiced pressing concerns about the hostages' conditions.
“The latest release operations reinforce the urgent need for ICRC access to those held hostage. We remain very concerned about the conditions of the hostages.” – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
As tensions rise, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism amid speculation about his willingness to uphold the truce deal.
“It’s no secret that Netanyahu doesn’t want the deal to continue and wants to stop it before the second phase,” – Amos Harel