Hamas releases hostages, including a Russian citizen
Alexander Trufanov has been released due to diplomatic initiatives undertaken by Moscow. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Alexander Trufanov has been released following diplomatic efforts by Moscow.
Hamas has freed three hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, including a Russian national. The group comprised Sagui Dekel-Chen, a dual US-Israeli citizen; Aleksander Trufanov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen; and Yair Horn, a dual Argentinian-Israeli citizen.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency received the hostages in Gaza, and they are now returning to Israeli territory for an initial medical assessment, according to the IDF's statement.
In January, President Vladimir Putin urged the Foreign Ministry and other pertinent government agencies “to do everything” to facilitate the release of the Russian citizen held by Hamas. The following day, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov disclosed that Hamas had assured Moscow of Trufanov’s impending release.
The ambassador noted that Trufanov had suffered injuries during the hostage-taking and his health condition was “not quite satisfactory.” However, he emphasized that the Hamas leadership had provided Russia with a “firm promise” that Trufanov would be returned “alive and well.”
“Aleksander was placed on the list of hostages to be released at the first stage of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, rather than the second stage, at Russia’s request. According to the Palestinian leadership, this was done as a sign of respect for our country’s position in support of a just settlement of the Middle East conflict,” stated Russian Ambassador to Qatar Dmitry Dogadkin.
Russia has retained connections with Hamas and other Middle Eastern entities, asserting itself as a mediator in conflicts involving Israeli hostages. The Russian government contends that the two-state solution, which includes the establishment of the State of Palestine alongside Israel, is the only viable resolution to the long-standing Middle East crisis.
Saturday’s exchange marks the latest in a series of swaps under the current ceasefire that began on January 19. Thus far, Hamas has released 21 hostages, while Israel has freed over 730 Palestinian prisoners in return. Currently, another 73 hostages are still held in Gaza, with half of them believed to be deceased.
The hostages, including Trufanov, were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities, with approximately 250 individuals taken hostage. Over the past 15 months, nearly 47,000 people in Gaza have reportedly died, according to health authorities in the enclave.
Trufanov was abducted along with his grandmother Irena Tati, mother Elena, and girlfriend Sapir Cohen. His father, Vitaly Trufanov, was killed during the attack. The women were released during the Hamas-Israel truce in November 2023.
The Trufanov family emigrated from Rostov-on-Don in Russia in the late 1990s. Before his kidnapping, Trufanov worked as an engineer at Annapurna Labs, an Israeli subsidiary of the technology giant Amazon, which has faced criticism for its silence regarding the capture of its employee by Hamas.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Hamas has freed three hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, including a Russian national. The group comprised Sagui Dekel-Chen, a dual US-Israeli citizen; Aleksander Trufanov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen; and Yair Horn, a dual Argentinian-Israeli citizen.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Agency received the hostages in Gaza, and they are now returning to Israeli territory for an initial medical assessment, according to the IDF's statement.
In January, President Vladimir Putin urged the Foreign Ministry and other pertinent government agencies “to do everything” to facilitate the release of the Russian citizen held by Hamas. The following day, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov disclosed that Hamas had assured Moscow of Trufanov’s impending release.
The ambassador noted that Trufanov had suffered injuries during the hostage-taking and his health condition was “not quite satisfactory.” However, he emphasized that the Hamas leadership had provided Russia with a “firm promise” that Trufanov would be returned “alive and well.”
“Aleksander was placed on the list of hostages to be released at the first stage of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, rather than the second stage, at Russia’s request. According to the Palestinian leadership, this was done as a sign of respect for our country’s position in support of a just settlement of the Middle East conflict,” stated Russian Ambassador to Qatar Dmitry Dogadkin.
Russia has retained connections with Hamas and other Middle Eastern entities, asserting itself as a mediator in conflicts involving Israeli hostages. The Russian government contends that the two-state solution, which includes the establishment of the State of Palestine alongside Israel, is the only viable resolution to the long-standing Middle East crisis.
Saturday’s exchange marks the latest in a series of swaps under the current ceasefire that began on January 19. Thus far, Hamas has released 21 hostages, while Israel has freed over 730 Palestinian prisoners in return. Currently, another 73 hostages are still held in Gaza, with half of them believed to be deceased.
The hostages, including Trufanov, were taken during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities, with approximately 250 individuals taken hostage. Over the past 15 months, nearly 47,000 people in Gaza have reportedly died, according to health authorities in the enclave.
Trufanov was abducted along with his grandmother Irena Tati, mother Elena, and girlfriend Sapir Cohen. His father, Vitaly Trufanov, was killed during the attack. The women were released during the Hamas-Israel truce in November 2023.
The Trufanov family emigrated from Rostov-on-Don in Russia in the late 1990s. Before his kidnapping, Trufanov worked as an engineer at Annapurna Labs, an Israeli subsidiary of the technology giant Amazon, which has faced criticism for its silence regarding the capture of its employee by Hamas.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
