Hamas releases three Israeli hostages, including Yarden Bibas, but the whereabouts of his children remains a mystery

Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday, including Yarden Bibas, father of the children Ariel and Kfir, of Argentine originas part of the fourth exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners enabled by the truce agreement in Gaza.

The army announced Saturday morning that Yarden Bibas (35 years) and the Francoisraelí Offer Kalderon (54), kidnapped on October 7, 2023, they were already in Israeli territory, after the Palestinian Islamist movement delivered them in an orderly manner to the Red Cross in Jan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Shortly after, the army also received the IsraeloestadoNense Keith Siegel65, delivered by the militiamen to the Red Cross in Gaza City.

Israel in turn will release 183 prisoners, According to the Palestinian prison clubmore than double the 90s initially announced.

A bus with prisoners arrived in Ramala, in occupied Bank, and was received by hundreds of inhabitants. Three other motor skills arrived in Gaza.

Who is Yarden Bibas and what is known about the whereabouts of his children?

Israeli Yarden Bibas is the father of the two younger hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023 during his surprise incursion into Israeli territory: Kfir and Ariel, that had respectively eight and a half months and four years of age.

The father He was released without his wife Shiri, of Argentine origin, or his two childrenof which the whereabouts are unknown and are the last captive minors in Gaza.

Hamas said in November 2023 that they died in an Israeli bombing, But the Army of the Hebrew State did not confirm that extreme and many cling to the hope that they will continue alive.

“The Bibas family (…) has been living with a constant fear for their lives (…) we continue to demand information about their state“Gal Hirsch, Israeli coordinator for hostages, referring to the wife and two children of Bibas, said Saturday.

Hostage Calvary Symbol

The family was kidnapped at the Kibutz Nir Oz, And since then the two red -haired children have become the symbol of the suffering of the captives in Gaza.

The release coincides with the arrival in Israel of the Argentine Foreign Minister, Gerardo Wertheinwhich plans to meet with relatives of the nine Argentine-Israelis who continue kidnapped in Gaza.

Offer Kalderon was also kidnapped at Kibutz Nir Oz with Erez and Sahar, his son and daughter, who were 12 and 16 years old, respectively. The two teenagers were released during the first truce of November 2023.

On the day of his attack, which resulted in 1,210 dead, mostly civilians, According to official data, Hamas took a total of 251 hostages. Of these, 76 are still captive, although the Israeli army takes over 34.

From the beginning of the truce, On January 19, Hamas has released 18 hostages -13 Israelis and five Thai- in exchange for about 400 Palestinians held in Israeli prisonsmany of them women and children.

After 484 days of captivity, the Hostage families forum congratulated the new liberationswhich are “a ray of light in the midst of darkness.”

• The next exchange should take place on Saturday, February 8sources from Hamas indicated.

More negotiations in sight

The truce agreement provides for the return in a first six -week phase of 33 of the kidnappedeight of them deceased, and the release of about 1,900 Palestinians.

In this period it should also be agreed how to implement the next stage of the high fire, aimed at finishing definitively The war initiated in October 2023, The release of the hostages that are still alive.

A senior Israeli official said Negotiations in this regard are going to resume Monday.

The pact provides a third phase during which it will be rebuilt The devastated Palestinian territory and the bodies of the rest of the kidnapped will be returned.

After this Saturday exchange The border crossing between Rafah was also reopened, in the south of the Gaza Strip, and Egypt. Fifty patients were evacuated, said the Ministry of Health of the Government of Hamas in Gaza.

The Israeli offensive devastated this territory and caused the death of At least 47 thousand 460 peoplemostly civilians, According to data from the Ministry of Health of the Hamas Government, which the UN considers reliable.

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