Russian-Israeli Hostage to Be Freed in First Stage of Hamas-Israel Peace Deal

Russian-Israeli Alexander Trufanov is expected to beryllium among the archetypal radical of hostages released by the Hamas militant radical this weekend, according to a database of names published by The Times of Israel connected Friday.

Trufanov’s sanction appears alongside 33 hostages who were forcibly taken to Gaza during the Hamas-led battle connected Israel successful October 2023.

The attack, the deadliest successful Israeli history, saw Hamas militants termination 1,200 radical and abduct 251 others. According to the Israeli military, 94 hostages stay successful Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.

Israel’s consequent subject run has devastated overmuch of Gaza, with 46,788 radical killed, astir of them civilians, according to Palestinian wellness authorities.

Qatar, a cardinal mediator successful the conflict, announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire successful Gaza starting Sunday, alongside a hostage and captive speech aft implicit 15 months of war.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the archetypal 42-day ceasefire would see the merchandise of 33 hostages, including women, children, aged radical and those who are sick oregon injured. Israel volition merchandise Palestinian prisoners arsenic portion of the deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau confirmed that the archetypal radical of hostages is expected to beryllium freed connected Sunday.

Russia, which has called for the merchandise of Trufanov and different Russian-Israeli hostage, Maxim Kharkiv, welcomed the ceasefire woody connected Thursday.

The Times of Israel noted that its database of hostages does not corroborate their information but said Israel believes “most” of the 33 hostages are alive.

Trufanov appeared successful a video released by a Hamas affiliate past November, urging the Israeli authorities to unafraid the merchandise of hostages.

He was abducted alongside his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen, from the Nir Oz kibbutz adjacent the Gaza Strip. Cohen, on with Trufanov’s parent and grandmother, were freed during a little ceasefire and captive speech successful November 2023.

Trufanov’s father, Vitaly, was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

AFP contributed reporting.