Israeli hostages Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas were released after days in Hamas captivity in Gaza on Saturday morning, per the terms of the ceasefire between the terror group and Israel. Calderon, 54, and Bibas, 35, were handed over to the Red Cross in the southern town of Khan Younis Saturday morning, while Siegel, 65, was released several hours later in the port of Gaza City.
As you saw today, this steadfast stand proved itself. The message was delivered, received and carried out. Israel expects that all of the coming phases also be carried out safely. However, Hamas again set up stages with messages and pictures meant to provoke Israel and to celebrate its dead commanders. On Friday, the terror group for the first time confirmed that several of its top leaders, including Mohammed Deif, his deputy Marwan and several others were indeed killed by the Israel Defense Forces IDF during the war.
The IDF then announced Bibas and Calderon were in its hands, and after a short drive, they returned to Israel over a year after being taken hostage on Oct. Yarden Bibas, who was released without Hamas releasing any new information about the condition of his wife, Shiri, and their children, Kfir and Ariel, was received by his parents and sister at the border. He was taken to a hospital shortly after.
He was reunited with his children, two of whom had been taken captive with him and were released in the first hostage deal in November A short while later, dual U. He received two "gift bags," one of which was meant for his wife, Aviva, who had been kidnapped with him and was released during the first hostage deal, Israeli media reported. At the border, he was reunited with his wife, Aviva ,and his son, Shai, who he had believed to have been killed during the Hamas invasion.
Siegel is the first American hostage who was released by Hamas since November Six Americans are still being held in Gaza, of whom two are believed to be alive. The 24 living hostages, who are not planned to be released in the current phase, include four IDF soldiers; seven civilians kidnapped from villages in the Gaza envelope; 11 who were kidnapped at the Nova party; and two foreign workers, one from Thailand and one from Nepal. In exchange for the hostage release, Israel set free Palestinian prisoners, of whom 32 were released in Judea and Samaria.
