Hamas on Saturday released three Israeli hostages in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel. Each of the hostages received a symbolic gift, including a gold coin and an hourglass.
The gold coin was given to Sagui Dekel-Chen, an Israeli-American, to mark the birth of his daughter, Shachar Mazal, whom he had never met as he spent nearly 500 days in captivity. Meanwhile, an hourglass was handed to the mother of another hostage still held by Hamas, carrying the message “Time is running out,” in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.
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The release, which took place on Saturday in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, followed months of negotiations and exchanges between Hamas and Israel under a fragile ceasefire.
The hostages—Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn, and Sasha Trupanov—were released as part of an ongoing swap deal, where Israel has agreed to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return. The trio, who had been held captive since the October 7 attack, were presented to a crowd by armed Hamas militants, flanked by the usual show of force that has become synonymous with these exchanges.
Their release was accompanied by a tense display of power, with militant fighters surrounding the area, many donning the insignia of Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups. A stage was set with Palestinian flags and militant banners, accompanied by songs of defiance that echoed through the crowd.
For Dekel-Chen, the moment was particularly emotional. His wife, Avital, who gave birth to their third daughter during his imprisonment, was waiting for him in Israel. As he stepped onto the stage to speak, his voice quivered slightly, but he managed to convey a message urging the completion of future exchanges under the ongoing truce.
This exchange marked the sixth swap since the ceasefire began on January 19, with the three men being escorted away by Red Cross vehicles after a brief appearance on stage.
