Hamas has handed over American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, marking the third hostage release on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. The truce, which commenced on January 19, aims to de-escalate the deadliest and most destructive conflict ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
Hamas has handed over American- Israel i hostage Keith Siegel, 65, to the Red Cross , marking the third hostage release on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel . Siegel appeared on a stage set up by the sea in Gaza City before militants transferred him to waiting Red Cross officials. Earlier in the day, militants released Yarden Bibas, 35, and French- Israel i Ofer Kalderon, 54, to the Red Cross in similar scenes in the town of Khan Younis in southern Gaza .
All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the devastating war. \The truce, which commenced on January 19, aims to de-escalate the deadliest and most destructive conflict ever between Israel and the Hamas militant group. This fragile deal has endured for nearly two weeks, halting the relentless fighting and allowing for an increased flow of humanitarian aid into the beleaguered coastal territory. During the truce's initial six-week phase, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel asserts that it has received intelligence from Hamas indicating that eight of these hostages perished either during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack or succumbed to their conditions in captivity. \On Saturday, wounded Palestinians are anticipated to be permitted to leave Gaza for Egypt through the Rafah crossing. This crucial passage had served as the sole exit point for Palestinians during the war until Israel closed it in May. A European Union civilian mission was deployed on Friday to initiate preparations for the crossing's reopening. The reopening signifies another pivotal step in the first phase of the ceasefire, which entails the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and a substantial increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated region. The Health Ministry reported that 50 sick and wounded children, accompanied by 61 companions, are scheduled for evacuation through the Rafah crossing. \Meanwhile, in Israel, the release of Bibas has rekindled attention, and concern, for the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons. All four were apprehended from Kibbutz Nir Oz. A video capturing their abduction by armed assailants depicted Shiri swaddling her two red-haired boys - Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old at the time. Kfir's tender age, as the youngest among the approximately 250 individuals taken captive on October 7, has become a potent symbol of the helplessness and rage that the hostage-taking has ignited in Israel, where the Bibas family has attained household notoriety. Hamas has claimed that Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not confirmed this, but a military spokesman recently acknowledged serious apprehension regarding their well-being. Yarden Bibas is believed to have been held in seclusion from his family. Photographs taken during his abduction appeared to show him wounded. \In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, Kalderon's family embraced and cheered as they witnessed images of him ascending the stage in Khan Younis and being transferred to the Red Cross. Ofer Kalderon's two children, Erez and Sahar, were abducted alongside him and released during a ceasefire in November 2023. Family members stated that they were unable to recover from their ordeal until their father returned. 'We are sorry it took so long, Ofer,' said Eyal Kalderon. 'We will soon be a whole family again. We hope other families will soon feel like this, until the last family.' French President Emmanuel Macron expressed that France 'shares in the relief and joy' of Kalderon's return after 483 days of 'unimaginable hell,' adding that France would continue its utmost efforts to secure the release of another French Israeli hostage still being held in Gaza. Keith Siegel, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife, Aviva Siegel. She was released during the November 2023 ceasefire and has campaigned tirelessly to free Keith and other hostages. \The dozens of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel on Saturday include individuals serving extended and life sentences. More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Approximately 80 more hostages remain in Gaza, with at least a third believed to be deceased. Israel claims that Hamas has confirmed the deaths of eight of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first phase of the ceasefire. Israel and Hamas are scheduled to commence negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire next week, which calls for the release of the remaining hostages and an indefinite extension of the truce. The war could resume in early March if an agreement is not reached. Israel maintains its commitment to dismantling Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its control over Gaza within hours of the latest ceasefire. A key far-right ally in Netanyahu's coalition is demanding the resumption of war following the first phase of the ceasefire. Hamas insists that it will not release the remaining hostages without the termination of the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In the October 7 attack that ignited the war, approximately 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were killed
HAMAS ISRAEL CEASEFIRE HOSTAGES GAZA PALESTINE WAR RED CROSS INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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