Jerusalem:
Three Israeli men, all dual nationals, who were abducted from a kibbutz during Hamasโs attack on October 7, 2023, are set to be released on Saturday after months in captivity.
Israeli authorities confirmed on Friday that Sasha Trupanov, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Yair Horn will be freed as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19.
So far, 16 Israeli hostages have been released under the truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. Additionally, five Thai nationals were freed outside the framework of the deal.
The upcoming exchange, scheduled for Saturday, marks the sixth such swap since the ceasefire began, temporarily pausing over 15 months of hostilities.
Sasha Trupanov, a 29-year-old Israeli-Russian citizen, was abducted along with his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, from Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel, where they had been visiting family. He is currently being held by the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza and has released video footage of him in captivity.
