Demonstrators hold signs and pictures of hostages, as relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages kidnapped during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas protest demanding the release of all hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel, Feb. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Itai Ron

The terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza said they would release three hostages — US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36; Russian-Israeli Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, 29; and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn, 46 — on Saturday, in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire with Israel.

All three men were seized in Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities around the Gaza Strip that was overrun by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. Horn’s brother Eitan was taken at the same time and remains in captivity.

Troufanov was being held captive by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an Islamist terrorist group allied with Hamas. Both groups are backed by Iran.

Hamas said Israel was expected to release 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including dozens serving life sentences, in exchange for the hostages.

The announcement of the names by Hamas, the main terrorist group in Gaza, came after days of uncertainty about whether the ceasefire reached last month between Israel and Hamas would hold, followed intense efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to keep the US-backed agreement on track.

A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel accepted the list, but that was later corrected to say Israel had simply “received” the list.

“This was a mere factual description that does not reflect an Israeli comment on the issue,” the updated statement noted.

Hamas had earlier threatened not to release more hostages after it accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire by blocking aid from entering Gaza, drawing counterthreats of a resumption of fighting from Israel.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates the aid deliveries, also said 4,200 humanitarian aid trucks had entered Gaza this week, carrying food, fuel, medical supplies, tents, and shelter equipment. Some international aid groups say the amounts are insufficient to meet the needs of the population.

Even before the Hamas threat not to proceed with the hostage release, Israelis had been outraged by the emaciated appearance of the three hostages released last week and by the public display before a Gaza crowd when they were handed over to Red Cross officials.

As the standoff continued, the Israeli military said it was calling up reserve units and had placed forces around the Gaza Strip on high alert for a resumption of combat operations.

US President Donald Trump also weighed in, saying the ceasefire should be canceled and “all hell break loose” unless all the hostages were released on Saturday.

Hamas agreed last month to hand over 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and older men, in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, during a 42-day truce in which Israeli forces would pull back from some of their positions in Gaza.

The truce was intended to open the way for a second phase of negotiations to return remaining hostages and complete the withdrawal of Israeli forces before a final end to the war and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Doubts about whether the deal would hold grew sharply after US President Donald Trump called for Palestinians to be moved permanently out of Gaza and for the enclave to be turned over to the United States to be redeveloped.

The call was rejected by Palestinian groups and countries in the Arab world and labelled as “ethnic cleansing” by critics including United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Hamas launched the Gaza war with its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel, during which Palestinian terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.

As of this writing, 76 hostages remain in Gaza, including 73 kidnapped on Oct. 7.