KHAN YOUNIS, 15 FEB

 Hamas-led militants released three male Israeli hostages Saturday, parading them before a crowd in the southern Gaza Strip before handing them over to the Red Cross as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

The Red Cross delivered the three — Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — to the Israeli military, which said they were being taken for medical treatment and to be reunited with their relatives.

All were abducted in the 7 October, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.

The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardised in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting.

US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire.

But Hamas said Thursday it would move ahead with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to “remove all hurdles” to ensure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza.

It is the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January. So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce.

As with previous exchanges, the hostage release was heavily choreographed, with the captives made to walk onto a stage and make remarks into microphones before the crowd. Dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near the stage festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions while music blared from loudspeakers.

In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a huge cheer went up as the hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. “Iair, Sagui, and Sasha are on their way home!” an announcer said.

Who are the hostages and prisoners being released?

The three hostages were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the devastating war.

Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity.

Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later.

Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov's father was killed in the October 7 attack.

The Hamas-linked Prisoners' Information Office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons on Saturday. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences.

Among the most prominent Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of Marwan Barghouti, a militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure.

Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.

Concerns are high about the remaining hostages' condition

Of the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.

Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages' condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail.

One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light.

The truce remains very fragile

The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.

While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces a much bigger challenge with the deal's first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.

At its height, the fighting displaced 90 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though many found only rubble, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.

The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Trump's plan increases uncertainty

Trump's proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has thrown the truce's future into further doubt.

The idea has been welcomed by Israel's government. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.

Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump's plan. The militant group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.