American and father of youngest hostages among those due for release from Gaza Saturday

Hamas announced on Friday that three Israeli hostages would be released from Gaza on Saturday, including an American dual national and the father of the youngest hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that three men—Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas, and Ofer Kalderon—would be released in the latest round of negotiations. Their families have been informed.

Siegel, an Israeli-American citizen, was abducted from his home in the kibbutz Kfar Aza. His wife, Aviva, who was also kidnapped, was freed in November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Bibas was taken from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his wife, Shiri, and their two sons, Kfir and Ariel. Kfir, only nine months old at the time, was the youngest hostage taken on October 7.

In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel Bibas were killed in an Israeli airstrike and released a hostage video featuring Yarden Bibas, who blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their deaths. An Israeli military spokesperson dismissed the video as "psychological terror" and did not confirm the deaths, though the military has informed the families that their loved ones 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 along with his 11-year-old son, Erez, and his 16-year-old daughter, Sahar. Both Erez and Sahar were released during the November 2023 ceasefire.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum confirmed the names of the hostages, and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has informed the families. Since a ceasefire began on January 19, Hamas and allied militant groups have released 10 Israeli and five Thai hostages.

The release of the hostages on Thursday was marred by chaotic scenes in Gaza, leading to criticism from Israeli leaders and a temporary delay in the release of Palestinian prisoners, who were ultimately freed later in the day. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the incident as "shocking" and demanded that the mediators—Qatar, Egypt, and the United States—ensure that such an event would not happen again.

Hamas is expected to release another 23 hostages during the 42-day truce, including the three set to be freed this Saturday. However, eight of the hostages are confirmed dead, according to the Israeli government.

In return, Israel is releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom have been held without charge, or convicted of serious offenses. The terms for prisoner exchanges include 30 prisoners for every civilian hostage, 50 for every Israeli soldier, and 110 for the nine injured or sick hostages who are not soldiers.

As of Friday, Hamas and its allies are still holding 79 individuals taken from Israel on October 7, 2023, along with three other hostages taken in 2014.

The Bibas family, particularly Kfir, has become one of the most recognizable victims of the October 7 attacks.

Kfir’s image has appeared on numerous posters around the world and across Israel, calling for the release of hostages over the past 15 months. In the photo, the red-haired toddler holds a pink elephant toy, gazing directly at the camera with a toothless smile.

Despite the temporary truce in late November 2023, when many women and children were released, Kfir, his brother Ariel, and their mother were not among those freed.

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 have died, according to the Israeli military. Kfir and Ariel Bibas remain the last children in captivity.

Siegel and Kalderon, along with several family members, were kidnapped, with some of them being released in November 2023 as part of a brief ceasefire agreement. Their testimonies offer a disturbing insight into the horrific conditions endured by the hostages.

Aviva Siegel shared that during their captivity, Keith would ask fellow hostages to identify one thing they were thankful for each day. She reflected, “Imagine being in the depths of hell and still trying to find one thing each day to be thankful for,” as reported by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

A video of Siegel in captivity was released by Hamas in April of the previous year. Speaking to CNN at the time, Aviva Siegel described her husband as looking pale and exhausted. "He’s 65 years old. He was taken from his home by Hamas terrorists in his pajamas, and he’s still there, underneath the ground,” she said.

Siegel’s mother, Gladys Ruth Siegel, passed away in December at the age of 97, according to the family.

Kalderon, described by his family as an avid cyclist and skilled carpenter, is also known for his love of music and for taking his children on field trips.