KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas has handed American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, 65, over to the Crimson Cross, the third hostage to be launched Saturday as a part of a ceasefire cope with Israel.
Siegel walked onto a stage arrange by the ocean in Gaza Metropolis earlier than militants handed him over to ready Crimson Cross officers.
Earlier, the militants launched Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, to the Crimson Cross in comparable scenes within the city of Khan Younis within the southern Gaza Strip. All three had been kidnapped in the course of the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the conflict.
The truce, which started Jan. 19, is aimed toward winding down the deadliest and most damaging conflict ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
The delicate deal has held for almost two weeks, halting the combating and permitting for elevated help to move into the tiny coastal territory.
In the course of the truce’s six-week first section, a complete of 33 Israeli hostages are anticipated to be freed in trade for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says it has acquired info from Hamas that eight of these hostages had been both killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault or have died in captivity.
Additionally on Saturday, wounded Palestinians are anticipated to be allowed to go away Gaza for Egypt by way of the Rafah crossing. It had been the one exit level for Palestinians in the course of the conflict earlier than Israel closed it in Might. A European Union civilian mission was deployed Friday to organize for the reopening of the crossing.
The reopening would mark one other key step within the first section of the ceasefire, which requires the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and a rise in humanitarian help to the devastated territory.
The Well being Ministry stated 50 sick and wounded kids are scheduled to be evacuated by way of the Rafah crossing together with 61 companions.
In Israel, the discharge of Bibas has introduced renewed consideration to – and concern for – the destiny of his spouse, Shiri, and their two younger sons. All 4 had been captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
A video of their abduction by armed males confirmed Shiri swaddling in a blanket her two redheaded boys – Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months previous on the time.
Kfir was the youngest of about 250 folks taken captive on Oct. 7, and his plight shortly got here to signify the helplessness and anger the hostage-taking stirred in Israel, the place the Bibas household has turn out to be a family title.
Hamas has stated Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not confirmed that, however a army spokesman not too long ago acknowledged critical concern about their fates.
Yarden Bibas is believed to have been held individually from his household. Photographs taken throughout his abduction appeared to point out him wounded.
Like Bibas, Kalderon was additionally captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Kalderon’s household hugged and cheered as they noticed the photographs of him climbing onto the stage in Khan Younis and being transferred to the Crimson Cross.
“Ofer is coming residence!” they stated, arms lifted to the sky.
Ofer Kalderon’s two kids, Erez and Sahar, had been kidnapped alongside him and launched throughout a ceasefire in November 2023. Members of the family stated they weren’t capable of get well from their ordeal till their father returned.
“We’re sorry it took so lengthy, Ofer,” stated Eyal Kalderon. “We are going to quickly be a complete household once more. We hope different households will quickly really feel like this, till the final household.”
French President Emmanuel Macron stated France “shares within the aid and pleasure” of Kalderon’s return after 483 days of “unimaginable hell,” including that France would proceed doing all it could possibly to safe the discharge of one other French Israeli hostage nonetheless being held in Gaza.
Keith Siegel, initially from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, alongside along with his spouse, Aviva Siegel. She was launched in the course of the 2023 ceasefire and has waged a high-profile marketing campaign to free Keith and different hostages.
The handfuls of Palestinian prisoners to be launched by Israel on Saturday embody folks serving prolonged and life sentences.
Greater than 100 hostages had been launched throughout a weeklong ceasefire in Nov. 2023. About 80 extra hostages are nonetheless in Gaza, no less than a 3rd of them believed lifeless. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that eight of the 33 to be launched within the first section of the ceasefire are lifeless.
Israel and Hamas are set subsequent week to start negotiating a second section of the ceasefire, which requires releasing the remaining hostages and lengthening the truce indefinitely. The conflict may resume in early March if an settlement will not be reached.
Israel says it’s nonetheless dedicated to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza inside hours of the most recent ceasefire. A key far-right accomplice in Netanyahu’s coalition is looking for the conflict to renew after the ceasefire’s first section.
Hamas says it will not launch the remaining hostages with out an finish to the conflict and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Within the Oct. 7 assault that began the conflict, some 1,200 folks, largely civilians, had been killed. Greater than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and floor conflict, over half of them girls and kids, in line with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say how most of the lifeless had been militants.
The Israeli army says it killed over 17,000 fighters, with out offering proof. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas as a result of its fighters function in residential neighborhoods.
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