Israeli hostages and Palestinian inmates freed in latest ceasefire swap

Israeli hostages and Palestinian inmates freed in latest ceasefire swapHamas has released another three Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners following a week in which the fragile ceasefire deal appeared under threat.American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, 29, were freed in return for 369 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

So far 19 hostages and more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed in the first phase of ceasefire deal which began on 19 January.The swap came days after Hamas said it would pause the release of hostages, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the deal - an allegation denied by Israel.Israel, backed by US President Donald Trump, said "intense" fighting would resume unless the hostages were handed over. Hamas later said it remained committed to the ceasefire, and that Israel was "responsible for any complications or delays".

But on Saturday the sixth swap went ahead, with the hostages handed over to Red Cross workers in a highly-choreographed public show in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.Surrounded by heavily armed Hamas militants, the men briefly addressed a crowd of Palestinians before being transferred into Red Cross vehicles.

They did not look as gaunt as the hostages freed a week earlier - their appearance had aroused anger in Israel and elsewhere.Under the first six-week stage of the ceasefire deal, 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners are supposed to be freed.The three men were airlifted by military helicopters to a hospital in central Israel, where they underwent medical tests and were reunited with relatives.

Yair Horn and his brother Eitan, 37, had been abducted from a kibbutz during the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas. Eitan remains in captivity in Gaza.Pictures showed Yair Horn hugging his mother and his brother Amos in hospital, and a message where he wrote "Eitan, you're next".

US citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen also reunited with his wife, where he learned that he had one-year-old daughter. His wife had been eight months pregnant with their third child when he was captured by Hamas in October 2023.

US President Donald Trump marked the hostage release on Saturday, noting Hamas had not followed through with their threat."They seem to be in good shape," he said.Israeli President Isaac Herzog, posting on social media, said the hostages had been "forced to endure" a "despicable and cynical ceremony".In a social media post, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to work with the US to "ensure that all hostages return to Israel soon".