This poster exhibits three Israeli hostages held within the Gaza Strip because the Oct. 7. 2023: Yarden Bibas (L), Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel (R). An Israeli marketing campaign group confirmed the names of three hostages set to be launched on February 1, together with American and French twin nationals. The Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board acknowledged that the three captives to be launched are Israeli citizen Yarden Bibas, Israeli-American Keith Seigel, and Israeli-French Ofer Kalderon.
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TEL AVIV, Israel — A U.S. twin citizen is among the many three Israeli hostages launched by Hamas Saturday, after greater than 15 months in captivity in Gaza.
The discharge contains U.S. and Israeli twin citizen Keith Siegel, 65, Yarden Bibas, 35, and Ofer Kalderon, 54. Kalderon additionally holds French citizenship. The three males have been handed over Saturday morning to representatives of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross in Gaza, who transferred them to Israeli troops for the drive throughout the border into Israel. Bibas and Kalderon have been handed over in Khan Younis, in Gaza’s south; Seigel in Gaza Metropolis within the enclave’s north.
In alternate, dozens of Palestinian prisoners and detainees are anticipated to be launched from Israeli jails later within the day, together with some serving life sentences. Amongst these to be launched are Mohammad El Halabi, the previous supervisor of operations for charity group World Imaginative and prescient in Gaza, who was convicted by Israel in 2022 for funneling funds to Hamas. Halabi pleaded not responsible, and World Imaginative and prescient strongly denied his involvement. Additionally anticipated to be launched is Shadi Amouri, who’s serving a life sentence for a bombing that killed 17 Israelis in 2002. Amouri is ready to be deported to a neighboring nation.
The alternate is a part of a multiphase deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, that started Jan. 19, with a six-week ceasefire. Throughout that point, a whole of 33 of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza — a few of whom are believed to be lifeless — are alleged to be returned to Israel in alternate for round 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The deal has held for practically two weeks, permitting assist to stream into the enclave. On Saturday, a key border crossing at Rafah opened for the primary time since Israel took management of the crossing in Might, permitting 50 Palestinians to cross into Egypt for medical therapy. The 2 sides are set to start the subsequent section of the negotiations which may see the ceasefire prolonged and the remaining hostages freed.
A complete of 18 hostages have been launched because the ceasefire took impact – 13 of them Israeli and 5 Thai nationals. Over 500 Palestinians may have been launched after immediately’s alternate.
Siegel is the primary American to be launched as a part of this deal. There are six different U.S. residents being held hostage in Gaza, two of whom are nonetheless regarded as alive, in response to Israel. Siegel’s spouse, Aviva, was additionally taken hostage, and was launched as a part of a earlier ceasefire deal again in November 2023.
“I think I’ll scream and just jump on him. I can’t wait,” Aviva Siegel advised NPR final April about how she would reply to her husband’s launch.
Bibas was taken hostage alongside along with his spouse and two young children. All through the struggle, the Bibas household has turn out to be a logo of the plight of the hostages in Israel. Yarden Bibas has appeared in two movies from Gaza beforehand, however the destiny of his members of the family in captivity stays unknown.
Kalderon’s household didn’t know whether or not he could be returned to Israel alive or lifeless till the day earlier than his launch. “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, advised NPR earlier this month.
There are 79 hostages remaining in Gaza, a lot of whom are believed to be deceased, in response to Israel.
Yanal Jabarin and Itay Stern contributed reporting from Tel Aviv and Ahmed Abuhamda from Cairo.
