3 Hostages Freed from Hamas Captivity After 484 Days

By Hana Levi Julian – The Jewish Press

Three Israeli civilian men – Yarden Bibas, Ofer Calderon and Keith Siegel — were freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Saturday (Feb. 1), albeit not at the same hour and not even in the same location.

Bibas, 35 and Calderon, 54, were transferred by Hamas to the Red Cross early – at 8:30 am – in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Siegel, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was freed an hour later. Hamas transferred Siegel, 65, into Red Cross custody at the Port of Gaza.

Calderon and Bibas were taken by the IDF in two separate flights to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer; Siegel was taken to Sourasky Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv.

The Bibas Family
For Yarden Bibas, who was tearfully greeted at the IDF’s Re’im Base reception center by his father Eli and sister Ofra, it was a complex homecoming.

People around the world watched months ago as Bibas, who turned 35 in captivity, wept in a video filmed by his Hamas captors after they had told him his wife and two young sons – also abducted by the terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023 – were killed in an “Israeli air strike” in Gaza.

Baby Kfir was just nine months old, and his big brother Ariel just four years old, when they were abducted together with their mother Shiri from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

“Yarden is home. A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months. There are no words to describe the relief of holding Yarden in our hands, embracing him, and hearing his voice,” the Bibas family said in a heart-wrenching statement issued after his return.

“Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete,” the statement continued. “Yarden is a father who left his safe room to protect his family, bravely survived captivity and returned to an unbearable reality.

“At this time, we ask, protect Yarden. Protect his soul. Please respect his privacy and give him the space he needs so that his body and soul can begin to recover.”

The family also thanked the Israel Defense Forces and the people of Israel for their unrelenting efforts to bring their loved ones home.

“We will take a few days to reunite with Yarden, but we continue with hope and the call for the return of Shiri, the children and all the hostages. Please continue to make their voices heard and emphasize the urgency of their return,” the statement concluded.

Officials from the Israeli government say despite the claims by Hamas, no evidence has been provided to negotiators proving that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir are no longer alive.

Israel has demanded the mediators obtain proof one way or the other from Hamas.

The Calderon Family
Ofer Calderon was freed together with Yarden Bibas at 8:30 am, in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, after which they both were brought to Re’im.

His daughter Sahar and son Erez, also kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, were freed from captivity during a prior temporary ceasefire deal in November 2023.

Calderon was greeted by his children with a bear hug, and the words, “That’s it. It’s over, Abba. Now you’re with us.”

It was his turn to do the comforting when he arrived at the hospital, where he was embraced by his partner, Ella Golan.

The family subsequently issued a statement through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.

“Today we finally embrace Ofer, seeing and truly comprehending that he is here with us,” the family said. “We have witnessed how, through extraordinary mental strength, he survived this hell. Ofer endured months in a nightmare, and we are proud of his ability to survive and hold onto the hope of embracing his children again.”

Nevertheless, the family added, that “hell” is not yet over for many others.

“In the midst of this emotional moment, we must remember all the hostages who remain behind. We have no right to stop until all 79 hostages return home, whether for rehabilitation or for burial,” the family emphasized.

The Siegel Family
Keith Siegel, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, returned to good news upon his return to Israel, learning that his wife Aviva was still alive.

Siegel, like the others, was first brought by the IDF to a reception center where he was able to change his clothes, take a shower and shave, have a bite to eat and undergo an initial medical exam.

He then flew by helicopter to Sourasky Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv, where he was reunited with his wife, released during the previous November 2023 temporary ceasefire, and with his daughters Elan, Gal and Shir, and his brother Lee.

“Dad, you’ve come back to us! What a champion you are that you survived!” his daughters shouted upon first seeing their father.

Keith and Aviva Siegel, longtime residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, were kidnapped together from their home on Oct. 7, forced into their own vehicle to make the drive into Gaza captivity.

‘Thank You President Trump’
In a statement released shortly after Siegel’s return to Israeli territory, the family thanked President Donald Trump for “bring our father back to us” – but reminding the president that others are still waiting.

“At this very moment, our father is setting foot on the soil of the Land of Israel, and we are filled with indescribable excitement. Finally, after 484 long, terrifying days and nights, full of immense worry for our father, we can breathe again,” the statement read.

“Thank you President Trump, for bringing our father back to us. There are now 79 hostages who are also waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. Our hope rests with you. We also wish to thank the governments of Israel and the United States for bringing this blessed deal to fruition-a deal that prioritizes human life and embodies Jewish and Israeli values.”

“We are grateful to the incredible IDF soldiers and security forces who risk their lives and bodies, and we send our condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their most precious loved ones for the sake of us all,” the statement continued. “You will forever be in our hearts. Only together can we bring everyone home!”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also released a statement, saying, “Americans celebrate the return of American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel and two Israelis who were held captive by Hamas terrorists since October 7, 2023.

“President Trump and his administration have worked diligently to secure their release and are committed to freeing all remaining hostages.

Fewer Hamas Theatrics This Time
Unlike the release of previous hostages – where each captive was paraded before howling hordes of terrorists and their supporters – this time the mobs were orderly, and relatively quiet.

The change followed a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who demanded the Qatari and Egyptian deal brokers rein in the terrorists in response to the prior theatrics that accompanied each hostage release.

Israel slow-walked the release of terrorists incarcerated in Israeli prisons in response to those theatrics, warning no further terrorists would be released unless Hamas changed its behavior.

183 Terrorists Released for 3 Male Civilians
In exchange for the three civilian men, Israel released 183 terrorists, including eight who were deported abroad, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The 175 remaining terrorists were released to Judea, Samaria and Gaza, the Red Cross reported.

Among those released on Saturday were 18 terrorists serving life sentences, 54 serving long sentences and 111 Gaza “residents” who were arrested by IDF troops following the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre. Since the IDF did not detain or transfer to Israel any Gazan found to be without a terrorist connection, however, it is clear the so-called “residents” were not “innocent civilians.”