Who Are the Four Hostages That Hamas and Islamic Jihad Will Release on Saturday?

15th February 2025

3 minutes read

Who Are the Four Hostages That Hamas and Islamic Jihad Will Release on Saturday?

As anticipation grew in Israel, Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced the names of four hostages set to be released as part of the sixth wave of the prisoner exchange deal, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday.

In a statement, the military spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, confirmed that the following individuals will be freed:

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Sasha Alexander Troufanov

Ukrainian-Russian-Israeli Alexander Sasha Troufanov was 29 years old when he was abducted on October 7, 2023, from Nir Oz Kibbutz, near the Gaza Strip.

He was captured along with three family members: his grandmother Irina Tati, his mother Elena (Lina), and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen.

Hamas released his mother (50) and grandmother (73) on November 29, 2023, at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The following day, his girlfriend was also released as part of a week-long ceasefire.

Troufanov is an engineer working at Annapurna Labs, an Israeli microelectronics company acquired by Amazon. His friends attempted to persuade Amazon to issue a statement about Sasha, but without success.

Sagi Dekel-Chen (U.S. Citizen)

Sagi Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old Israeli-American, was also taken hostage.

He was kidnapped 200 yards from his home in Nir Oz Kibbutz on October 7, 2023.

In media interviews, his father, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, a Hebrew University professor from Connecticut, described the events of the day.

According to him, Sagi and a few others raised the alarm about the situation, prompting residents to seek shelter in safe rooms within their homes.

Sagi ensured that his wife Avital and their children were safe before heading back outside to join the kibbutz security team.

The siege lasted for hours, but the last known contact with Sagi was at 9:30 AM, according to his father.

Jonathan Dekel-Chen was part of a U.S. delegation of families with missing American citizens, sharing their stories widely to draw attention to the plight of the hostages.

Yair Horn

Yair Horn, 46, was captured from his home in Nir Oz Kibbutz on October 7.

His family had immigrated from Argentina years ago.

Horn worked in construction and was heavily involved in community life in Nir Oz. He organized celebrations and social events and was responsible for the local kibbutz bar.

A Previous Hostage Exchange

Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad announced through its spokesperson that Al-Quds Brigades, its military wing, would release Alexander Troufanov on Saturday, as part of the sixth wave of the first phase of the exchange deal.

Last Monday, Hamas had raised concerns by delaying the scheduled release of Israeli hostages, postponing it “until further notice”, increasing fears that 15 months of war in Gaza could reignite.

At the same time, Egyptian news channel Extra News reported that Cairo and Doha had successfully resolved obstacles preventing the ceasefire’s continuation, ensuring that both sides adhered to the truce.

However, the agreement was put at risk on Tuesday when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Hamas with “unleashing the gates of hell” unless all remaining Israeli hostages were freed by Saturday.