Launched French-Israeli hostage, Ofer Kalderon, who was seized through the lethal Oct. 7, 2023 assault by Hamas, gestures as he travels by helicopter to hospital, on this screengrab from a handout video obtained by Reuters on Feb. 1, 2025.
Israel Protection Forces | By way of Reuters
Hamas militants freed three male hostages held for greater than a 12 months within the Gaza Strip on Saturday and Israel launched 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails within the fourth such change of a ceasefire deal that has halted 15 months of intense combating.
Militants handed Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon to Crimson Cross officers within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, whereas American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, wanting pale and skinny, was launched to the Crimson Cross later Saturday morning in Gaza Metropolis to the north.
All three had been kidnapped through the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the struggle. Their launch brings to 18 the variety of hostages launched because the ceasefire started on Jan. 19.
The releases had been fast and orderly, in distinction to chaotic scenes that unfolded on Thursday when armed militants appeared to wrestle to carry again a crowd throughout a hostage launch. In each of Saturday’s releases, masked and armed militants stood in strains because the hostages walked onto a stage and waved earlier than being led off and handed over to the Crimson Cross.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Sq., hundreds of individuals gathered to look at the releases being transmitted dwell on a big display, waving indicators and cheering.
Shortly after Siegel arrived in Israel, a bus departed Ofer Navy Jail with some 32 prisoners certain for the West Financial institution. Crowds of well-wishers greeted the bus, cheering and hoisting the launched prisoners on their shoulders in scenes of jubilation.
The Israeli Jail Authority stated all 183 Palestinian prisoners slated for launch Saturday had been freed. Most, together with 111 arrested after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault, had been launched to Gaza. Simply over two dozen returned to cheering crowds within the occupied West Financial institution. One other seven serving life sentences had been transferred to Egypt forward of their deportation.
Ceasefire brings respite to battered Gaza
The ceasefire is geared toward winding down the deadliest and most harmful struggle ever fought between Israel and Hamas. The deal has held for 2 weeks, permitting for elevated help to move into the tiny coastal territory and for a whole lot of hundreds of Palestinians to return to the remnants of their properties within the north of the strip.
In the course of the truce’s six-week first part, a complete of 33 Israeli hostages are to be freed in change for practically 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it has acquired data from Hamas that eight of these hostages had been both killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault or have died in captivity.
Additionally on Saturday, a bunch of fifty sick and wounded Palestinian youngsters left Gaza for remedy by means of the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, within the first opening of the enclave’s sole exit since Israel captured it 9 months in the past. A European Union civilian mission was deployed Friday to organize for the reopening.
The reopening of Rafah marked one other key step within the first part of the ceasefire.
Israel and Hamas are set subsequent week to start negotiating a second part of the ceasefire, which requires releasing the remaining hostages and lengthening the truce indefinitely. The struggle may resume in early March if an settlement will not be reached.
Israel says it’s nonetheless dedicated to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza inside hours of the newest ceasefire. A key far-right companion in Netanyahu’s coalition is looking for the struggle to renew after the ceasefire’s first part.
Hamas says it will not launch the remaining hostages with out an finish to the struggle and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Households and neighbors have a good time return of hostages
Siegel, 65, initially from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, alongside together with his spouse, Aviva Siegel. She was launched throughout a short 2023 ceasefire and has waged a high-profile marketing campaign to free Keith and different hostages.
There have been sighs of aid and cheers in a front room the place members of the kibbutz watched Siegel’s launch. A lot of these within the room had been household mates, who applauded upon seeing Siegel, whereas some teared up.
Activists who’ve been protesting weekly for the discharge of hostages in Gaza, have a good time the discharge of French-Israeli hostage, Ofer Kalderon, who was seized through the lethal Oct. 7, 2023 assault by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Feb. 1, 2025.
Tomer Appelbaum | Reuters
In the meantime, the discharge of Bibas, 35, introduced renewed consideration to the destiny of his spouse, Shiri, and their two younger sons, Ariel and Kfir, who had been 4 years previous and 9 months previous after they had been kidnapped. All 4 had been captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Kfir was the youngest of about 250 individuals taken captive on Oct. 7, and his plight rapidly got here to signify the helplessness and anger the hostage-taking stirred in Israel, the place the Bibas household has change into a family identify.
Hamas has stated Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, however Israel has not confirmed that. Gal Hirsch, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s particular coordinator for returning the hostages, stated Israel has “grave concern for the lives” of Shiri and her sons, and pleaded with negotiators to supply data on their scenario.
Kalderon, 54, was additionally captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Kalderon’s household hugged and cheered as they noticed the photographs of him climbing onto the stage in Khan Younis and being transferred to the Crimson Cross.
“Ofer is coming residence!” they stated, arms lifted to the sky.
Kalderon’s two youngsters, Erez and Sahar, had been kidnapped alongside him and launched through the November 2023 ceasefire. Members of the family stated they weren’t in a position to get well from their ordeal till their father returned.
“We’re sorry it took so lengthy, Ofer,” stated Eyal Kalderon. “We are going to quickly be a complete household once more. We hope different households will quickly really feel like this, till the final household.”
French President Emmanuel Macron stated France “shares within the aid and pleasure” of Kalderon’s return after 483 days of “unimaginable hell,” including that France would proceed doing all it may well to safe the discharge of one other French Israeli hostage nonetheless being held in Gaza.
Greater than 100 of the hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7 had been launched through the weeklong Nov. 2023 ceasefire. About 80 extra stay in Gaza, at the very least a 3rd of them believed lifeless.
Within the Oct. 7 assault that began the struggle, some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, had been killed. Greater than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and floor struggle, over half of them ladies and kids, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been militants.
The Israeli army says it killed over 17,000 fighters, with out offering proof. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas as a result of its fighters function in residential neighborhoods.