Three Israeli hostages are freed by Hamas as Israel releases 369 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The sixth swap of the ceasefire comes after there were fears the deal could collapse this week. Follow updates in this live page.
Saturday 15 February 2025 23:00, UK
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Three Israeli hostages freed as 369 Palestinian prisoners released
Four Palestinian prisoners taken to hospital in ‘critical condition’
Israeli officials say no released prisoners in critical condition
Sixth swap of ceasefire deal comes on week where agreement was in jeopardy
Watch:Moment three Israeli hostages released
Who are the freed hostages?
What do we know about the Palestinian prisoners?
Explained: The stages of the ceasefire
Live updates by Lauren Russell
Thanks for following our updates throughout the day. We’re pausing our coverage for now.
Former US president Joe Biden has said he and his wife, Jill, are “relieved” American-Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel Chen has been reunited with his family.
In the statement on X, Biden continued to say he is “proud” that the “deal we negotiated has held, paving the way for the release of hostages”.
The president of Argentina has acknowledged the release of Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn, who was released by Hamas today.
The office of Javier Milei said in a statement that the 46-year-old’s release came within the “framework of a ceasefire between the state of Israel and Hamas promoted by the President of the United States, Donald Trump”.
It added: “The Argentine Republic maintains its demand for the release of the rest of the hostages who remain in captivity to this day, among them Iair’s brother, Etain Horn, and hopes for a prompt resolution to the conflict.”
One of the Palestinian prisoners released by Israel earlier today described the conditions in Israeli detention centres as “more difficult than you can imagine”.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Ibrahim Sarahneh claimed there was “beating, insults and cursing” during his incarceration.
The claim comes after the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said four released prisoners were taken to the hospital for urgent care.
It said the freed prisoners were taken to hospital due to their “critical health condition”.
The Israeli Prison Service said it ensures “all basic rights” of prisoners and detains them according to law.
Thousands of people have gathered in Tel Aviv calling for the release of the remaining hostages being held in Gaza.
Pictures emerging from the scene show crowds gathered in front of what it believed to be the headquarters of the Israel Defence Forces.
One of the signs held by protesters reads “don’t kill the deal” referring to the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The deal nearly fell apart at the beginning of the week after the militant group threatened to delay the release of hostages, accusing Israel of violating terms of the truce.
After intense efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to keep the agreement on track, Hamas said it would go ahead with the planned release of hostages.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Tel Aviv for his first visit to the Middle East.
He is expected to meet Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow.
Rubio’s visit comes after a widely condemned proposal by Donald Trump to displace Palestinians in Gaza.
Trump first floated the suggestion that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza on 25 January, a proposal they strongly opposed.
From Israel, Rubio will travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, has praised the release of American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen.
The 36-year-old was one of three hostages released today by Hamas.
Commenting on a video of Chen being reunited with his wife and parents, Waltz said: “Sagui has been through nearly 500 days of horror.
“Hamas cannot be allowed to survive.”
The leader of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in the UK has said they are “really fighting” for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
Speaking to Sky’s Barbara Serra, Nivi Fledman, said 14 Israeli hostages are still due to be released as part of phase one of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
She said the families of those still in Gaza are “constantly stressed” not knowing if their relatives will be released or not in the coming weeks.
“Families are not eating or sleeping and are constantly stressed, not knowing if their children, fathers and brothers will come back or not,” Fledman said.
“Then the thought that the whole deal is out the window and no one else will ever come out of Gaza, it is [causing] a lot of anxiety.
“Seeing the video today, and the hostages seeing their families for the first time, you can’t stop crying.
“It is a miracle they are out, and I really hope we will have 73 more of them.”
Nineteen Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released so far during phase one of the current ceasefire deal.
Around half of the remaining 73 hostages have been declared dead in absentia by Israeli authorities.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said he “greatly appreciates” support from Donald Trump, adding his “firm stance” helped to secure today’s release of three Israeli hostages.
Responding to Trump’s message earlier today – which said the US would “back” Israel in “any decision they make” regarding the release of all the remaining hostages – the Israeli prime minister said he values the president’s “full support”.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu greatly appreciates president Trump’s leadership and the ongoing coordination with the United States,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
“The combination of the IDF’s reinforcement around the Gaza Strip and President Trump’s firm stance led to the release of three of our hostages today—despite Hamas’s previous refusal to free them.”
Netanyahu said he will convene his government’s security cabinet “as soon as possible” to decide on “Israel’s next steps”.
For context: Trump had given Hamas a deadline of noon (US time) to release all remaining Israeli hostages, saying “all hell would break loose” if that did not happen.
Israel however never imposed such a deadline, which is also not part of the ceasefire deal.
As we reported earlier, it was believed Netanyahu had spoken with ministers, the heads of the negotiating team and senior defence officials, over the phone to discuss the release of remaining hostages.
Footage of the “emotional meeting” of Israeli hostage Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov reuniting with his grandmother has been released by the office of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Russian-Israeli was taken hostage along with his family in kibbutz Nir Oz.
His grandmother Irena Tati was released during the brief ceasefire in November 2023, along with Troufanov’s mother and girlfriend.
He was filmed hugging and walking arm in arm with his grandmother after being reunited at the Sheba Medical Centre earlier today.
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