Hamas frees two Israeli hostages as Gaza ceasefire prisoner exchange continues
Hamas frees two Israeli hostages as Gaza ceasefire prisoner exchange continues
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Hamas has freed two Israeli hostages in the latest prisoner exchange during the Gaza ceasefire, with a third American-Israeli captive expected to be released later today. Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis on Saturday morning, nearly four months after their capture during the October 7 attacks. The release brings renewed focus on the fate of Bibas's wife Shiri and their two young sons, including nine-month-old Kfir, the youngest of the hostages taken. Hamas claims they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israel has not confirmed their deaths.
"We are sorry it took so long, Ofer," said relative Eyal Kalderon after watching footage of the handover. "We will soon be a whole family again. We hope other families will soon feel like this, until the last family.". American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, is set to be freed later today. His wife Aviva, released in November, has campaigned prominently for the remaining hostages' freedom. The exchange is part of a broader deal that will see 33 Israeli hostages freed in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the truce's initial six weeks. Israel says eight of the planned releases are now known to be deceased.
