Israeli troops handed over Bibas and Kalderon, a symbol of the fate of the hostages in Israel During the 2023 Gaza bombing
The day before Kalderon’s release, his family was unsure if he would be returned to Israel alive or dead. “I hope that he’s well enough to hug him…to tell him that we love him and we are here,” his sister-in-law, Sharon Kalderon, told NPR earlier this month.
He was taken with his wife and two small children. Throughout the war, the Bibas family has become a symbol of the plight of the hostages in Israel. Yarden Bibas has appeared in two videos from Gaza previously, but the fate of his family members in captivity remains unknown.
Five people from the U.S. and Israel are included in the release, including two dual citizens, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon. Kalderon is a French citizen. The three men were handed over Saturday morning to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, who transferred them to Israeli troops for the drive across the border into Israel. In Gaza’s south and north were handed over Bibas and Kalderon.
Some of the prisoners that were released from Israeli jails were sentenced to life in prison. Among those to be released are Mohammad El Halabi, the former manager of operations for charity group World Vision in Gaza, who was convicted by Israel in 2022 of funneling funds to Hamas. Halabi pleaded not guilty, and World Vision strongly denied his involvement. The man serving a life sentence for the 2002 bombing that killed 17 Israelis is expected to be released. Amouri is about to be deported.
Fourteen hostages have been freed since the ceasefire went into effect. Over 500 Palestinians will have been released after today’s exchange.
After a brief cease-fire in November 2023, Palestinian extremists released his wife, and she has been campaigning for his freedom ever since.
Mr. Siegel came to Israel in 1980 to work as an occupational therapist. His wife and nine children are all part of his family.
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Lee said that it was incredibly frustrating to have the yo-yo experience again. “Every day that goes by, it becomes exponentially more difficult to continue with hope.”
Relatives of hostages scheduled to come out in the second phase have expressed concerns that Israel could return to war against Hamas after the first phase if the militant group does not agree to give up its control over Gaza. They are worried that a scenario like that could endanger their loved ones.