In a heartwarming turn of events, Hamas has released Israeli hostages Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Sasha Troufanov in a recent prisoner exchange. This marks the sixth release since the truce began on January 19th.
The hostages were freed in Gaza and greeted with cheers and tears at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. Dekel-Chen, a U.S.-Israeli, Troufanov, a Russian-Israeli, and Horn, whose brother Eitan was also abducted, were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7th attacks.
In exchange, Israel has released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, thanks to the mediation efforts that prevented the ceasefire from collapsing last week. So far, 19 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages have been freed, with 73 still in captivity, around half of whom are believed to be deceased.
The truce aims to pave the way for further negotiations to secure the release of the remaining hostages and facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, tensions remain high as accusations fly over the ceasefire terms, particularly regarding the blockade of aid into Gaza.
Adding to the complexity, U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to take over the Gaza Strip has sparked outrage among Arab nations, who are recalling painful memories of the 1948 Nakba, or catastrophe. Saudi Arabia is set to host a summit with leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE this Thursday, followed by an Arab League meeting in Cairo on February 27th to address the issue.
As the region navigates these challenging times, the international community watches closely, hoping for lasting peace and the rebuilding of Gaza, which faces severe shortages of food, water, and electricity.
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Hamas releases hostages, Palestinian prisoners freed in latest swap
cgtn.com
