Its fighters today released three Israeli hostages after 484 days of hostage in exchange in exchange for more than 180 Palestinian prisoners in Israel, in the fourth exchange of, which has suffered incalculable disaster from the war.
And Israeli -American Keith Siegel arrived in Israel after being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (DES).
In return, Israel released 182 Palestinians and one Egyptian, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club: 150 were transported by bus to the Gaza Strip, 25 on the occupied West Bank and eight, including the Egyptian, were deported to Egypt.
Numerous members of the Islamist Palestinian movement organized Gaza release ceremonies held calmly.
Today’s exchange is the fourth from the start of the truce on January 19 between Israel and Hamas, after 15 months of catastrophic war in Gaza, which broke out on the occasion of Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel.
In Han Junis, 54 -year -old Ofer Calderon was released before 35 -year -old Jarden Bibas. Framed by armed and hooded fighters, they went up in a platform between ruins.
The same terrorist organization that violently kidnapped American-Israeli Keith Siegel (65) from his home is now cruelly parading him on stage—after 484 horrific days in captivity.
Keith, we are all waiting for you at home.
– Israel Israel (@israel)
Same directing in the city of Gaza, where 65 -year -old Keith Siegel was released, with a headquarters and an uncertain step.
As it had done in previous hostage releases, Hamas asked them to greet the cameras before delivering them to the DES.
They then surrendered to the Israeli army and were helicopter to hospitals in Israel, where they undergo medical examinations, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.
In a heavy atmosphere of emotions, hundreds of people watched the releases from a giant screen in Tel-Aviv.
The case of the Biba family
Particular emotion and concern in Israel is caused by the case of the Bibas family. Yarden Bibas had been abducted from his home in Kibbutch Nir Oz during the October 7th attack. On the same day, his wife, Siri, were also abducted by both their two children, Kir and Ariel, eight and a half months old and four years old respectively.
In 2023, Hamas announced that they were killed during an Israeli raid in Gaza, but Israel never confirmed their deaths. The Israeli mediator for hostages Galis demanded from mediators “information on their state of health”.
“Dad, that’s it, it’s over”
The Kalderon family is finally reunited 💙
📷
– Israel Israel (@israel)
Upon arrival at Seba Hospital, near Tel-Aviv, Calderon was welcomed by his four children and cyclists.
He had been abducted with his son, Erez, 12 years old, and his daughter, Sarah, 16, who were released during the first truce in late November 2023.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time right now,” said Semi Calderon, uncle of Ofer Calderon.
After 484 horrific days in captivity, American-Israeli Keith Siegel (65) is finally reunited with his family ❤️
📷
– Israel Israel (@israel)
Keith Siegel was welcomed by his daughters. He had been abducted from his home in Kibutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife, Aviva, who had been released during the first truce.
The timetable of the fifth exchange
The next exchange of hostages and prisoners will take place on Saturday, February 8, according to sources in Hamas.
15 hostages – 10 Israelis and five Thai – and 400 Palestinian prisoners have already been released since January 19th.
During the six weeks of the first phase of the truce agreement, a total of 33 Israeli hostages, eight of which are dead, will be delivered to Israel, in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
Moving scenes in the Gaza Strip
In the Gaza Strip, buses and other vehicles arrived at Han Juni among an enthusiastic crowd that had arrived to welcome the 150 former prisoners.
In front of the European Hospital of this city, which has been leveled for most of the war, more than 100 people were shouting with joy as the buses were slowly moving.
Raby al-Al-Al-Alsubi, 40, came to be present at their arrival: “I saw the shock in their eyes when they saw Rafa and Han Junis damaged, with piles of ruins and completely damaged roads,” he says.
Same scene in Ramala, on the occupied West Bank, where 25 former prisoners were accepted as heroes.
“It is difficult to describe it in words,” says Ata Abdul Gani, 55, who was released after 23 years in Israeli prisons, where the situation was “difficult” and “tragic”, according to him.
“I can finally see the sky without bars.”
Atta Abdul Ghani exclaims with joy after his release from Israeli prison as part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The advocacy group Palestinian Prisoners Club has said that the prisoners show signs of torture.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye)
In this context, Hamas denounced the “brutality” faced by the prisoners in Israeli prisons.
After the exchange, 50 patients were transferred to Egypt, through the Rafa pass, which was first opened by May 2024 when it was occupied by Israel, the Hamas health ministry said.
Under the terms of the truce agreement, negotiations will be repeated tomorrow, Monday, in Washington to discuss the second phase aimed at liberating the last hostages and the definitive end of the war.
This repetition of negotiations, if held, will coincide with a meeting on Tuesday, February 4, between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump at the White House.
A third phase is expected to allow the rebuilding of the Gaza Strip and determine a model of governance for this Palestinian territory.
