Hamas, the Palestinian extremist organization, has unveiled the identities of the three hostages who will be set free on Saturday. This group includes Sagui Dekel-Chen, who holds dual American-Israeli citizenship. There was growing apprehension over the past few days that a truce agreement with Israel might fall through.
The other two hostages, Alexander Troufanov from Russia and Yair Horn from Argentina, both with Israeli nationality, were also seized by Hamas in a joint operation with Dekel-Chen at Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. This upcoming Saturday will mark the end of their 497-day captivity.
Dekel-Chen will be the second American individual to be released by Hamas during President Donald Trump’s current term in office, with the first being Keith Siegel, whose release took place on February 1st.
The Bibas family, from left: Yarden, Ariel, Shiri, and Kfir. Yarden was released by Hamas in February 2025. The fate of his family remains unknown. (Ofri Bibas Levy)
The IDF has assessed that at least eight of the hostages slated for release in the first phase have been killed while in Hamas captivity, though the number could be higher as the fate of Shiri Bibas and her two young boys – Ariel, who was four years old when he was abducted alongside his brother Kfir, who was nine months old – remains unconfirmed by the IDF.
Hamas has claimed they were killed by an Israeli airstrike, though the IDF has said it does not have evidence to support this.
Mediators were supposed to start to negotiate terms for the release of the remaining 65 hostages earlier this month, though Amidror said he does not believe they has officially begun. At least 26 of those slated for release in the second phase are assessed to have been killed.
In recent weeks, the hostages have confirmed fears that they were tortured, interrogated and starved during their time in Hamas captivity. And the state of the hostages released last week sparked an outcry as many pointed out the similarities in appearance of the three men to images of those who survived the Holocaust.
Emaciated Israeli hostages, from left to the right, Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levy, who were held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, are taken by terrorists to a stage before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Five other Americans remain in captivity, including Edan Alexander, 19, an IDF soldier and the only remaining American still assessed to be alive, though he is not slated for release until the second phase of the ceasefire.
IDF soldiers Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 22, are believed to have been killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and their bodies continue to be held alongside Gadi and Judi Haggai, who were also killed during the terrorist attack near their kibbutz.
Siegel, 65, thanked Trump for his help in securing his release but urged him to ensure that the ceasefire is upheld and said, “Your leadership and strength will ensure the agreement is honored by all sides – that is what will allow all . . . hostages to return home to their families,” he added.
