Hamas handed over two hostages to the Red Cross on Saturday in southern Gaza as part of its ceasefire agr🥂🔴eement with Israel.
The released hostages – Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54 – were both abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing war. A third hostage, American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, was also expected to be released on Saturday, with plans to transfer him to the Red C💧ross in Gaza City.
The truce, which began on January 19, aims to de-escalate the most destructive conflict between Israel and Hamas in history. The fragil🔴e agreement has held for nearly two weeks, halting hostilities and enabling the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Under the terms of the ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners over the initial six weeks.
However, Israel has received confirmation from Hamas that eight of the hostages, including some taken during the October ܫ7 attack, were either killed or died while in captivity.
Red Cross vehicles arrived on Saturday at a designated site in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis for the handover, which is part of a broader swap of hostages for prisoners. The ceasefire’s first phase has already seen 15 hostages 🅷released, al⛦ongside hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
On Saturday, ♒Israel isꦉ set to release dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal.
A significant development in the ceasefire will also occur with the reopening ಌof the Rafah crossing to Egypt, which had been closed since May. This will allow the evacuation of wounded Palestinians from Gaza, with a European Union mission deployed to oversee the process.
The case of Yarden Bibas has drawn renewed attention to the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young children, who were abducted with him. While Hamas claims that Shiri and the children were killed in an Israeli airstrike, Israel has not confirmed their dea🍷ths, though officials have expressed serious concern for their well-being. Similarly, Kalderon and Siegel’s families have been actively involved in efforts to secur𝓡e their release, with Siegel’s wife, Aviva, leading campaigns for his freedom.
The release of hostages and prisoners is part of a fragile peace effort, with ongoing negotiations expected to determine the future of the truce and a potential second phase. However, the situation remains precarious, as both Israel and Hamas have laid out opposing conditions for the continuation of the ceasefire. The war, which has already claimed tens of thousands♌ of lives, could reignite in March if the parties fail to reach an agreement.
( With inputs from Associated Press)
