Hamas Releases 2 Hostages Of Israelis Through Red Cross Facilitators In Gaza

Israel's hostage release by Hamas/screenshot via Instagram @stateofisrael

JAKARTA - Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over Israeli hostages Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon on Saturday. Meanwhile, Keith Siegel, a double American-Israeli citizen, is expected to be released in the latest stages of the ceasefire aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.

Reported by Reuters on Saturday, February 1, the Israeli military confirmed they had received Kalderon, a French-Israeli and Bibas doubles citizen after the two were handed over to a Red Cross official in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Siegel is expected to be handed over at the seaport of Gaza City on Saturday night.

Bibas was the father of the two youngest hostages, baby Kfir, who was only 9 months old when he was kidnapped by Hamas-led gunmen on October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Ariel was 4 years old at the time of the cross-border attack.

Hamas said in November 2023 the boy and their mother Shiri, who were kidnapped at the same time, were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Since then, there has been no news of them.

Israel is expected to move 182 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, Hamas said.

In addition, it is reported that there will be the first Palestinian to travel from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing which has just reopened.

The line will initially open for 50 injured militants and 50 injured civilians, along with the men guarding them.

Meanwhile, 100 other people, most likely students, were said to have been allowed in for humanitarian reasons.

Saturday's handover did not show chaos as happened at Thursday's previous handover, as Hamas guards struggled to protect hostages from crowds in Gaza.

Kalderon and Bibas both briefly took stage in Khan Younis, in front of posters of Hamas figures including Mohammad Def, a former military commander whose death was confirmed by Hamas this week, before being handed over to Red Cross officials.

Seventeen hostages, including five Thais released on Thursday, have now been released in exchange for 400 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.