American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, was among three hostages released by Hamas on Saturday morning after nearly a year and a half in captivity in Gaza. The other two, Sasha Troufanov, 29, and Iair Horn, 46, were also handed over to Red Cross personnel in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The men, appearing to walk without serious injuries, were led onto a stage by Hamas operatives and read statements. However, Israeli television chose not to broadcast the audio of their remarks.
Shortly after, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that the Red Cross had transferred the hostages to Israeli authorities, and they had safely crossed the Gaza border into Israel.
The returning hostages are on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their families, according to a statement from the IDF.
While the three men appeared pale and worn, they seemed in better physical condition compared to the three hostages released the previous Saturday, who had been severely emaciated after 16 months of captivity.
All three men were abducted during the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, at Kibbutz Nir Oz, located near the Gaza border. Two of the hostages were held by Hamas, while one was detained by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
Dekel-Chen was working in the Nir Oz machine shop when Hamas carried out its Oct. 7 attack. He confronted the terrorists and was taken hostage, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of the people who were seized that day.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Sagui’s father, told CBS News in September 2024 that his son is the “father of three little girls,” the youngest of whom he had yet to meet. He also shared that Sagui’s wife, who was seven months pregnant at the time, miraculously survived the October 7 attack with their two daughters. On Saturday, the IDF released a photo of Sagui reuniting with his wife, Avital.
Sasha Troufanov, an engineer at Amazon who immigrated to Israel from the Soviet Union, lost his father in the October 7 attack. His grandmother, mother, and girlfriend were also taken hostage but released in a previous prisoner exchange with Hamas in November 2023.
Iair Horn, 46, was born in Argentina and was kidnapped alongside his brother, Eitan, on October 7. Eitan remains in captivity and is not part of the first stage of hostages to be released during the ceasefire.
“Now, we can breathe a little. Our Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza,” said his family in a statement. “Now, we need to bring Eitan back so our family can truly breathe.”
Former President Joe Biden expressed relief on X, sharing that he and former first lady Jill Biden are “relieved” Dekel-Chen is “finally reunited with his family after 498 painful days.” He added, “I am proud that the deal we negotiated has held, paving the way for the release of hostages. My thoughts and prayers are with the remaining hostages and their families who have all been through hell. We hope all will be reunited in the weeks ahead.”
Hamas announced Thursday that it would continue releasing hostages as per the terms of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement with Israel. This came after Hamas had accused Israel of violating the deal and said it would delay Saturday’s scheduled exchange.
Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for nearly two decades, is designated as a terrorist organization by both Israel and the U.S.
Israel warned that if Saturday’s scheduled exchange did not take place, it would resume military operations in Gaza. As part of the agreement, Israel began releasing 369 Palestinian prisoners, including 36 serving life sentences for deadly attacks.
A bus carrying the first released prisoners arrived in the West Bank town of Beitunia, where they were greeted by a crowd of cheering relatives and supporters. Some of the released prisoners appeared gaunt, and the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service reported that four were immediately taken for medical treatment.
While both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the agreement multiple times, the deal has remained in effect since it began on January 19.
The deal consists of three phases. The current six-week phase is aimed at releasing 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. As of Saturday, 24 Israeli hostages had been freed. Negotiations for the second phase are underway, which could lead to the release of more hostages and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which started in response to the October 7 terrorist attack, has resulted in significant casualties. The attack led to the deaths of about 1,200 people in southern Israel and the abduction of 251 hostages. In Gaza, the war has claimed over 48,000 lives, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, while independent estimates put the death toll closer to 64,000.
