Hamas announced on Friday that among the three Israeli hostages to be released from Gaza on Saturday are an American dual national and the father of the youngest hostages taken from Israel on October 7, 2023.
It named three men – Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon as the captives that would be freed in the latest round. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said their families had been informed.
Siegel, an Israeli-American citizen, was taken from his home in kibbutz Kfar Aza. His wife Aviva, who was kidnapped alongside him, was released in November 2023 as part of the short-lived ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Bibas was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his wife Shiri and two sons Kfir and Ariel. Kfir was just nine months when he was abducted, the youngest hostage taken on October 7.
Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas were killed in an Israeli airstrike, and released a hostage video of Yarden Bibas in which he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their deaths. An Israeli military spokesperson at the time called the video “psychological terror,” and Israel never confirmed their deaths, but the military has told relatives that they may not be alive, according to a spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Kalderon was 52 when he was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz together with his son Erez, who was 11 at the time, and his daughter Sahar, who was 16. Erez and Sahar were also released during the November 2023 ceasefire.
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum confirmed the names, and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that the families of the hostages have been informed.
Hamas and allied militant groups have released 10 Israeli and five Thai hostages since a ceasefire went into effect on January 19.
Chaotic scenes surrounding the release of Israeli and Thai hostages in Gaza on Thursday brought condemnation from Israeli leaders and a temporary delay in the release of Palestinian prisoners, who were ultimately released later in the day. Netanyahu described those scenes as “shocking,” and demanded guarantees from those who mediated a ceasefire deal – Qatar, Egypt and the United States – that the incident would not be repeated.
Hamas is expected to release another 23 hostages over the course of the 42-day truce, including the three set for freedom this Saturday. Eight of them are dead, the Israeli government has confirmed.
In exchange, Israel is releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, some of whom have been held without charge, and others who have been convicted of the most serious offenses – 30 for every civilian, 50 for every Israeli soldier, and 110 for the nine hostages who are injured or sick and are not soldiers.
As of Friday, Hamas and its allies were still holding 79 people taken from Israel on October 7, 2023, and three additional hostages who have been held captive since 2014.
Bibas family in the spotlight
The Bibas family, and Kfir in particular, have become one of the most recognizable victims of the October 7 terror attacks.
Kfir’s picture has been featured on many of the posters calling for the release of the hostages that have been on display across Israel and the world for the past 15 months. In it, the red-haired baby boy is holding a pink elephant toy, looking directly into the camera with a toothless smile.
The two boys and their mother were not released from Gaza during the temporary truce in late November 2023, when many women and children were released.
Shiri Bibas is one of four Israeli women still held in Gaza. The other three — Judi Weinstein Haggai, 70, Inbar Hayman, 27, and Ofra Keidar, 70 — are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli military. Kfir and Ariel Bibas are the the last remaining children in captivity.
Both Siegel and Kalderon were kidnapped alongside some of their family members, several of whom have been released in November 2023 as part of the short-lived ceasefire deal. Their testimonies have provided a glimpse into the horrific realities faced by the hostages.
Aviva Siegel said that while they were held captive together, Keith would ask everyone to identify one thing they were thankful for. “Imagine being in the depths of hell and still trying to find one thing each day that you are thankful for,” she said, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Siegel’s mother, Gladys Ruth Siegel, died in December aged 97, the family said.
Kalderon has been described by his family as a keen cyclist and expert carpenter, and a man who enjoys music and field trips with his children.
Eugenia Yosef and Dana Karni contributed to this report.