CAIRO, February 15. /TASS/. Hostages held by Palestinian radicals in the Gaza Strip, including Russian Alexander Trufanov, have been handed over to the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Egypt’s Al-Qahira Al-Ekhbariya TV channel reported on Saturday.
According to the footage provided by the Egyptian TV broadcaster, doctors and representatives of the radical party signed the relevant documents approving the transfer of hostages.
The ICRC vehicles, carrying the released people, left the town of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip and headed to the locations of the Israeli military.
Islamic Jihad, a radical Palestinian organization and a Hamas ally, confirmed earlier on February 14 that it would release Russian national Alexander Trufanov on February 15.
Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Simona Halperin told TASS earlier that according to her country’s authorities, Trufanov was alive and was expected to be released in the first phase of Israel’s deal with Hamas.
On January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal took effect on January 19. During the initial 42-day phase, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
