Three Israeli hostages and dozens of Palestinian prisoners released

Three Israeli hostages—Yarden Bibas, 34, Ofer Kalderon, 53, and Keith Siegel, 65—were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Saturday, in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, marking the latest step in a ceasefire agreement reached last month.

Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners were transported by bus to Gaza and the West Bank, with many arriving from the nearby Ofer prison. The release process contrasted sharply with Thursday’s chaotic handover, where surging crowds surrounded the hostages, raising concerns for their safety and prompting Israel to delay the release of Palestinian prisoners that day.

Three Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were released on Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Yarden Bibas, 34, Ofer Kalderon, 53, and Keith Siegel, 65, were handed over to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire agreement made last month. Palestinian prisoners were transferred to Gaza and the West Bank, many from Ofer prison.

Unlike Thursday's chaotic handover, the release on Saturday was more orderly, though it still had a highly controlled presentation with armed Hamas fighters surrounding the released hostages. A banner behind the hostages displayed images of deceased Hamas leaders. In Gaza, the hostages signed certificates of release while crowds cheered. Siegel, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was met with loud applause in Tel Aviv, with people calling him a hero.

Adrienne Siegel, the wife of Mr. Siegel, expressed her overwhelming joy, saying, "There's no one happier than me," as she was filmed getting into a car to reunite with her husband.

The family of French-Israeli Mr. Kalderon released a statement, sharing their immense relief and joy after 484 agonizing days of waiting. They described his ordeal, stating that he had endured months of suffering, all the while clinging to the hope of being reunited with his children.

However, others, like Liz Domsky, voiced more mixed emotions. From Hostages Square, she commented, "They all need to come home."

Mr. Siegel’s niece, Tal Wax, told the BBC that while the family was thrilled to have Keith back, they were also deeply concerned about his condition. “Although we can see that he is able to walk and talk, we see that he has lost a lot of weight,” she said. “It's a bittersweet moment for us. [Other families] deserve this moment as much as we do."

Similar mixed emotions surrounded the return of Mr. Bibas, whose wife, Shiri, and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were also abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Initially believed to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike, the children were later confirmed to be among the hostages Hamas agreed to release in January.

Andrea Wittenberg, holding up a picture of Kfir, who was just nine months old when taken, said, “They are children. They should be at home. It is impossible for them to be in Gaza.” She expressed hope, adding, “I don’t want to give up.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog referred to Mr. Bibas's return as "simply heartbreaking," and reiterated the nation's deep concern for the hostages. He expressed that each released hostage "deserves the time to rehabilitate and rebuild their lives" and stressed that every one of them deserves to return home soon.

In Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank, buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners were greeted by large, celebratory crowds.

"Today we were born again...we left the narrowness of the graves for the vastness of the world," said Nasrallah Muammar, who was released after serving 17 years in prison, according to Palestinian media.

"I feel joy despite the long journey of pain and hardship we've endured," Ali Al-Barghouti, who was serving two life sentences, told Reuters.

Most of the prisoners were held under Israel's "administrative detention" policy, which critics argue involves imprisonment without charge. Some had been convicted of serious offenses.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Association reported that 54 of the prisoners had received lengthy sentences, while 18 were serving life sentences.

Saturday’s hostage release was more organized compared to Thursday’s chaotic event, when two Israelis and five Thai nationals were escorted through a crowd of cheering people, some of whom had to be pushed aside.

Efrat Machikawa, the niece of 80-year-old Gadi Moses, one of those freed, described how her uncle felt it was "the end of his life" as the crowd surrounded him. She praised the "brave" Red Cross workers who helped facilitate his release.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the scenes "shocking" and demanded, and received, assurances that such incidents would not be repeated. International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric urged that security around future handovers be enhanced to ensure they are conducted in a "safe and dignified manner."

Regarding the ongoing conflict, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported that nearly 47,500 people have died in Gaza since Israel's invasion following the 7 October 2023 attack, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.

The ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which began on 19 January, has seen the release of 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners, while hundreds of trucks have delivered humanitarian aid to Gaza daily. The Rafah crossing, a vital humanitarian route between Gaza and Egypt, reopened on Saturday after eight months. The Gaza health ministry confirmed that 50 patients left via the crossing to receive medical care in Egypt.

This week, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been allowed to return to northern Gaza. However, some, like Ashraf al-Dous, have chosen to return south after witnessing the extensive damage caused by Israeli airstrikes. He described the situation as "catastrophic" and said the destruction to his apartment building was overwhelming: "I didn’t expect the situation to be like this – it’s too much."