Two hostages, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon, have arrived at an initial reception point in southern Israel after being released by Hamas. Bibas’ wife and two young children, who were also taken hostage in October 2023, are still missing, with Hamas claiming they were killed in an Israeli airstrike. The orderly handover of the two hostages was streamed live on TV from Khan Younis in Gaza, with the Red Cross involved in the process. The IDF confirmed that two of the three hostages expected to be released that day are on their way back to Israeli territory, with Keith Siegel expected to be the third. Siegel, an American Israeli, was taken during the same attack in October as Bibas and Kalderon. The hostage exchange is part of a larger agreement between Hamas and Israel, marking the fourth such exchange. Hamas has said that Siegel, Bibas, and Kalderon will be released, with Bibas and Kalderon already handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza. Siegel’s current whereabouts are unclear, as he did not participate in the handover ceremony in Khan Younis. The families of the released hostages are waiting to reunite with them and are hopeful for further releases in the near future.
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