Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli custody, marking the fourth swap under the ongoing ceasefire aimed at de-escalating the Gaza conflict.
Israeli hostages Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were handed over to the Red Cross in the southern city of Khan Yunis after being paraded by Hamas fighters.
Meanwhile, American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel was freed in a similar event at Gaza City’s port. The Israeli military later confirmed that all three had returned safely to Israel.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli advocacy group, welcomed the release, calling it “a ray of light in the darkness.” Kalderon’s uncle, Shemi, expressed his deep emotions, hoping it signified a new beginning for Israel.
Meanwhile, wrongfully detained Palestinian prisoners received a jubilant welcome in Ramallah, where a bus carrying them from Israel’s Ofer Prison was greeted by cheering crowds.
In Khan Yunis, hundreds celebrated the return of three other freed prisoners. One of them, Ata Abdelghani, spoke of his emotional reunion with his twin sons, whom he had not seen since their birth 10 years ago.
The release is part of an agreement that began on January 19, under which Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have freed 18 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including women and minors. Hamas sources indicated that a fifth exchange is scheduled for next Saturday.
The hostages released on Saturday were among the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which intensified the Gaza war. Of those taken, 76 remain in Gaza, with at least 34 confirmed dead after the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
Among those still missing are Bibas’s wife, Shiri, and their two children, whom Hamas has claimed are dead. However, Israeli officials have yet to confirm their fate.
Following his release, Yarden Bibas was reunited with his father and sister in an emotional moment captured on video. His family issued a statement describing his return as “a quarter of our hearts restored” but emphasised that the home remained incomplete without the rest of their loved ones.
In Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” hundreds gathered to watch the release on live television. Though there were sighs of relief, the overall mood remained sombre, with many calling for the return of all captives.
Following the release, Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened, allowing 50 Palestinian patients to leave for specialist medical treatment, including 30 children with cancer.
Gaza’s health authorities stressed the urgency of evacuating more critically ill patients, estimating that over 12,000 require immediate medical care after Israel destroyed the majority of the hospitals in Gaza and restricted movement for sick patients to leave the enclave.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, includes a 42-day first phase, under which 33 hostages will be exchanged for around 1,900 Palestinians, many of whom have been wrongfully detained by Israel.
A second phase, set to be negotiated from Monday, aims to secure the release of the remaining captives and could lead to talks on a long-term ceasefire.
As diplomatic efforts continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the ceasefire and the future of the conflict.
