Hamas has released three male hostages who had been held in the Gaza Strip for over a year, while Israel has freed 183 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth exchange under a ceasefire agreement that has paused 15 months of intense conflict, reports AP.
The hostages, Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, were handed over to Red Cross officials in Khan Younis, while American-Israeli Keith Siegel, appearing frail, was later released in Gaza City. All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war. Their release brings the total number of hostages freed since the ceasefire began on 19 January to 18.
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The handovers proceeded in an orderly manner, unlike Thursday’s chaotic hostage release, where militants struggled to control a crowd. This time, armed and masked militants stood in formation as the hostages walked onto a stage, waved, and were then led off to be transferred to the Red Cross.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, thousands gathered to watch the releases live on a large screen, waving signs and cheering. Meanwhile, in Israel, a bus carrying 32 Palestinian prisoners departed Ofer Military Prison for the West Bank, where crowds greeted them with celebrations, lifting the freed prisoners onto their shoulders in jubilation. The Israeli Prison Authority confirmed that all 183 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release had been freed—most sent to Gaza, while some returned to the West Bank, and seven serving life sentences were transferred to Egypt ahead of deportation.
Ceasefire Provides Temporary Relief to War-Torn Gaza
The ceasefire, aimed at ending the deadliest and most destructive war between Israel and Hamas, has held for two weeks. It has facilitated increased aid deliveries to Gaza and enabled hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the ruins of their homes in the north.
Under the ceasefire’s initial six-week phase, 33 Israeli hostages are to be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has been informed by Hamas that eight of those hostages were either killed in the 7 October attack or died in captivity.
Separately, 50 sick and wounded Palestinian children were allowed to leave Gaza for treatment in Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, marking the first time the enclave’s only exit has opened since Israel captured it nine months ago. A European Union civilian mission was deployed on Friday in preparation for reopening the crossing.
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The reopening of Rafah marks another key milestone in the ceasefire’s first phase. Next week, Israel and Hamas will begin negotiations on a second phase, which aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages and extend the truce indefinitely. However, if no agreement is reached, the war could resume in early March.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel remains committed to dismantling Hamas, particularly after the militant group quickly reasserted control over Gaza once the truce began. A key far-right member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has called for the war’s resumption once the first phase of the ceasefire concludes. Meanwhile, Hamas insists that it will not release the remaining hostages unless Israel ends the war and withdraws entirely from Gaza.
Families Rejoice as Hostages Return
Keith Siegel, 65, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza alongside his wife, Aviva, who was released in a previous ceasefire. She has since led a high-profile campaign for her husband's release. His friends and neighbours gathered to watch the live broadcast of his release, some cheering while others were moved to tears.
The release of 35-year-old Yarden Bibas has renewed concerns over the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were just four years old and nine months old when abducted. The family was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Kfir, the youngest of approximately 250 hostages taken on 7 October, became a symbol of the helplessness and anger surrounding the hostage crisis in Israel. Hamas has claimed that Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed this. Gal Hirsch, Netanyahu’s special coordinator for hostage affairs, expressed “grave concern for their lives” and urged negotiators to provide information about their condition.
Ofer Kalderon, 54, was also abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His family in Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, rejoiced upon seeing footage of him walking onto the stage in Khan Younis before being transferred to the Red Cross. His children, Erez and Sahar, were taken hostage alongside him but were released in November 2023. Family members said they had struggled to move forward until their father’s return.
“We are sorry it took so long, Ofer,” said Eyal Kalderon. “Soon, we will be whole again. We hope every family experiences this, until the last one.”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed France’s “relief and joy” at Kalderon’s release after 483 days of captivity, describing his ordeal as “unimaginable hell.” He reaffirmed France’s commitment to securing the release of another French-Israeli hostage still held in Gaza.
During the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023, more than 100 hostages taken on 7 October were freed, but approximately 80 remain in Gaza, with at least a third believed to have died.
The war, sparked by Hamas’ 7 October attack, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. In response, Israel launched an air and ground offensive that has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, more than half of whom were women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military claims to have killed over 17,000 Hamas fighters, though it has not provided evidence. Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties, arguing that the group operates within residential areas.