Hamas releases three Israeli hostages
The release of these hostages was accompanied by the exchange of 183 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas on Saturday released another three Israeli hostages as part of a broader ceasefire agreement with Israel, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict that has persisted for over 15 months.
Details of the Release
Yarden Bibas: Aged 35, he was taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 attacks. His wife and two young children were also abducted, with his family becoming a focal point of public concern in Israel. He as handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Ofer Kalderon: A French-Israeli citizen aged 54, he was also captured during the same attacks. He was handed over to a Red Cross official in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
Keith Siegel: A dual US-Israeli citizen aged 65, Siegel was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza alongside his wife, who was released earlier during a previous ceasefire. The last of the three hostages was handed to the Red Cross at Gaza Port.
Israel is set to release 183 prisoners on Saturday in the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, a Palestinian advocacy group said, more than doubling the previously reported figure.
“The updated number of prisoners to be released is 183,” said Palestinian Prisoners´ Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh on Friday, after previously announcing that 90 prisoners would be released from Israeli jails.
This swap is part of a series of negotiations aimed at easing tensions and facilitating humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been severely impacted by the conflict.
This exchange represents the fourth round of hostage and prisoner swaps since a ceasefire began on January 19, 2025. Over this period, a total of 15 hostages have been released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
