Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday, part of its 42-day cease-fire deal with Israel that has brought a fragile peace to the region. The release is a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Among those released are Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, and Keith Siegel. The abduction of Mr. Bibas and his family became an emblem of the cruelty of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Despite the uncertainty surrounding their fate, Mr. Bibas’s sister has advocated for a cease-fire and hostage deal.
Mr. Kalderon was captured with two of his four children during the Hamas attack. His cousin recently called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the moment after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 attack, to reach a hostage and cease-fire deal.
Ms. Siegel, an American Israeli who was taken captive with her husband, described her ordeal as “horrible” and said she often thought about her last conversation with her husband before she was freed: “I asked Keith to be strong for me, and I said, ‘I’ll be strong for you’ — and that’s what’s keeping me alive.”
The release of the hostages comes after a year-long captivity for Mr. Kalderon. His family marked his second birthday in captivity last month.
As part of the cease-fire deal, Hamas agreed to incrementally release 33 of the nearly 100 remaining hostages in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians jailed by Israel and a partial Israeli withdrawal.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/world/middleeast/israeli-hostages-hamas-saturday.html