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Hamas has handed two hostages, including French-Israeli dual national Ofer Kalderon, over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel. A third hostage is expected to be released shortly, in return for the relesae of dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Israeli father released amid ‘grave concerns’ for wife and children
The release of Yarden Bibas has brought renewed attention to — and concern for — the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons. All four were captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
A video of their abduction by armed men showed Shiri swaddling in a blanket her two redheaded boys — Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old at the time.
Kfir was the youngest of about 250 people taken captive on Oct. 7, and his plight quickly came to represent the helplessness and anger the hostage-taking stirred in Israel, where the Bibas family has become a household name.
Hamas has said Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not confirmed that, but a military spokesman recently acknowledged “grave concerns” about their fates.
Yifat Zailer shows photos of her cousin, Shiri Bibas, centre, her husband Yarden, left, and their children Ariel, top right, and Kfir. Credit: Maya Alleruzzo, AP
Third hostage expected to be released in Gaza City
A third hostage, American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, is expected to be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City to the north.
Hamas hands over Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas to Red Cross
Hamas has handed two hostages over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel.
Israeli Yarden Bibas and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon were released in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis in a swift and organised ceremony with few onlookers.
Hamas hands over French-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon to Red Cross
Red Cross vehicles arrive at Gaza hostage release location
Red Cross vehicles have arrived at a location in southern Gaza where Hamas is set to free the three Israeli hostages this morning.
Fifteen hostages, hundreds of prisoners freed since start of ceasefire
Today’s swap of hostages for prisoners will be the fourthsince the ceasefire began on January 19. Fifteen hostages and hundreds of prisoners have already been freed in that time.
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Hamas-led militants are set to free three more hostages — all men — in the coming hours, and Israel will release dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile agreement that has paused fighting in the Gaza Strip after more than 15 months of war.
The hostages to be released, according to Hamas and Israel, are: Yarden Bibas, 35; American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65; and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54.
All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war.
After holding them hostage for over 15 months, militants in Gaza began releasing captives on January 19, when the first phase of a ceasefire with Israel took effect.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants have so far handed over 15 hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of them women and minors.
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