Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, is releasing hostages this Saturday, including American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen. This follows concerns that a ceasefire agreement with Israel might collapse.
Also being released are Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov and Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn. These three, abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, will have spent 497 days in captivity.
Dekel-Chen’s release marks the second American freed by Hamas since President Trump’s return to office, following Keith Siegel’s release on February 1st.
International anxieties about the ceasefire intensified after Hamas violated the agreement by claiming Israel breached it through insufficient humanitarian aid delivery and airstrikes targeting Palestinians.
President Trump subsequently urged Israel to cancel the ceasefire if Hamas didn’t release all hostages, not just the three scheduled for February 15th release.
Concerns heightened when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also called for Hamas to release hostages on Saturday, without specifying whether this meant all or just the three agreed upon.
“The Israeli official stance is that we have an agreement which should be honored,” stated retired IDF Major General Yaakov Amidror during a JINSA discussion.
“We don’t want to disrupt things by adding [Trump’s] demand,” he explained. “The question is, will Hamas uphold its end of the agreement and release the three hostages?
“I believe Hamas won’t risk it given the current sentiment in Washington,” Amidror added. “But we can’t be certain.”
Only 16 of the 33 hostages slated for release in the ceasefire’s initial 42-day phase have been freed.
Following the initial week, which saw seven releases, the agreement stipulated the release of three hostages weekly. The remaining 14 will be released on February 22nd, concluding the first phase.
The IDF estimates at least eight hostages scheduled for release in the first phase have died in Hamas captivity, though this number could be higher. The fate of Ariel, four years old at abduction, and his nine-month-old brother Kfir remains unconfirmed.
Hamas attributes their deaths to an Israeli airstrike, a claim the IDF denies.
Negotiations for the remaining 65 hostages were to begin earlier this month, but Amidror doubts they’ve formally started. At least 26 of those in the second phase are believed to be deceased.
Recently released hostages reported torture, interrogation, and starvation. Their appearance upon release prompted outrage, with many noting similarities to Holocaust survivors.
Five more Americans remain captive, including 19-year-old IDF soldier Edan Alexander, the only remaining American assessed as alive, whose release is scheduled for the second phase.
IDF soldiers Itay Chen (19) and Omer Neutra (22) are presumed killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and their bodies are being held along with those of Gadi and Judi Haggai, also killed in the attack.
Siegel (65) thanked Trump for his assistance, urging him to ensure the ceasefire’s maintenance: “Your leadership and strength will guarantee the agreement’s adherence by all parties – that’s what will bring all… hostages home,” he added.
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