JERUSALEM — Three men held hostage in the Gaza Strip for more than 15 months were freed Saturday, bringing to 18 the number of captives released by terrorists since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Jan. 19.
Among those freed was Yarden Bibas, 35, the father of the two youngest hostages in Gaza, whose plight has become a rallying cry for Israelis. The Bibas sons — 4 years old and 9 months old at the time of their abduction — and their mother, Shiri, are still in captivity, and feared dead.
Shiri Bibas and the two children are the last woman and children held in captivity in Gaza who have not been confirmed dead by Israel.
The other hostages released Saturday were American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, also household names in Israel after highly visible campaigns to free them.
In the ceasefire’s first phase, a total of 33 hostages in Gaza will be released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The ceasefire and release of hostages has sparked both hope and fear among Israelis. Many worry that the deal could collapse before all the hostages return, or that those released will arrive in poor health. Others worry that the number of captives who have died is higher than expected.
Some 250 people were taken hostage during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Around 80 remain in Gaza, although at least a third are believed to be dead. The others were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered.
Here’s a look at some recent hostages released:
Yarden Bibas, 35
The release of Yarden Bibas has dimmed hopes that his wife and children were still alive in Gaza.
Hamas has claimed that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not confirmed that, but a military spokesperson said last week that the government was “extremely concerned” about their welfare.
Yarden Bibas was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. Photos from the abduction shows him wounded, bleeding from the head.
It’s believed he was taken captive separately from his wife and sons. A video of the family’s abduction showed Shiri swaddling her two redheaded boys in a blanket as she was whisked away by armed men.
Keith Siegel, 65
Keith Siegel, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was abducted with his wife, Aviva Siegel, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a communal farming village heavily damaged by the attack. She was freed during the November 2023 ceasefire deal, and has campaigned across the world for the release of her husband and other hostages.
Keith Siegel worked as an a occupational therapist and loves spending time with his grandchildren, according to the forum representing the hostage families.
Aviva Siegel said that she was held hostage with her husband during her 51 days in captivity. She said she took comfort from having her husband by her side as they were moved from tunnel to tunnel, the two given almost no food or water. Her parting words to him were, “Be strong for me.”
Ofer Kalderon, 54
Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli hostage, was taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His teenage children, Sahar and Erez, and his ex-wife, Hadas, were also abducted, but they were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in 2023.
Hadas Kalderon has said that the children have struggled since leaving captivity, worried for their father’s health.
Ofer Kalderon worked as a carpenter and loves biking and flying model planes, according to the hostage forum.
Arbel Yehoud, 29
Arbel Yehoud was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from Kibbutz Nir Oz. A third-generation resident of the kibbutz, she loves science and space, and her friends held a public star gazing to mark her birthday in captivity.
Her brother, Dolev Yehoud, was killed on Oct. 7.
Israel delayed the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza for two days because they accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement by not releasing Yehoud, a civilian, on Jan. 25, before the release of the female soldiers.
Mediators resolved the dispute with an agreement that Yehoud would be released Thursday.
