The Hamas militants released three men’s hostages on Saturday, which held themselves in the Gaza belt, and Israel began publishing 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prison, part of the trial agreement that stopped 15 months of intensive struggle.
The militants were handed over by Yarden Bibas and the French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon Red Cross officers in the southern town of Khan Younis, while the US-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel, looking pale and thin, was released on the Red Cross later on Saturday in the city of Gaza in the north in the north. All three were abducted during the attack led by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which caused war.
Their edition brings 18 hostages published since the truce began on January 19th. Both Saturday events were fast and tidy, unlike chaotic scenes that took place on Thursday, when it seemed that armed militants fought to hold the crowd during A hostage edition.
In both Saturday editions, masked and armed militants stood in the lines as hostages walked on stage and waved before they took him and handed over to the Red Cross.
At the hostage Square, Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to watch editions that are transmitted live on the large screen, waving signs and cheering.
The secondary fire is intended to wind the brightest and most decorative wars ever struggled between Israel and a militant group of hamas. The deal was staying for two weeks, stopping the fighting and allowing increased help to go into a small coastal territory.
During the six -week first phase, a total of 33 Israeli hostages should be released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says that he received information from Hamas that eight of these hostages were killed in Hamas’s 7 October 2023, attacking or died in captivity.
Leaving gauze to medical treatment
On Saturday, the wounded Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza to Egypt through the transition of Rafah, the only output point for Palestine during the war before Israel closed it in May. The European Union civilian mission is deployed on Friday to prepare to re -open the crossing.
The re -opening indicates another key step in the first phase of the ceasefire, which requires the return of Palestinians to the northern gauze and increasing humanitarian aid on devastated territory.
The Ministry of Health announced that 50 sick and wounded children should be evacuated through the transition of Rafah, together with 61 followers.
Siegel, 65, originally from Chapel Hill, NC, took hostages from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife Aviv Siegel. She was released during the year 2023 and led a high campaign to release Keith and other hostages.
There were sighs in the living room with relief and fans where the members of Kibbutz watched Siegel’s release. Many of those in the room were family friends, who applauded when they saw Siegel’s face, while some clashed.
Siegel is one of the highest hostages, now the name of the household in Israel after his wife Aviva SiegelAlso trapped in Hamas attack, he set a public campaign to bring him home after his own release from prisoners in November 2023.
Meanwhile, the release of Bibas, 35, has attracted renewed attention to her wife Shiri’s fate and their two young sons, Ariel, four and Kfir, for nine months at the time. All four were captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Kfir was the youngest of about 250 people who captured October 7th, and his condition quickly came to represent helplessness and anger in Israel aroused hostages, where the Bibas family became the name of the household.
Hamas said that Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli air attack. Israel has not confirmed this, but the military spokesman recently acknowledged serious concern about their destinies.
Kalderon, 54, was also trapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
In Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, the Kalderon family hugged and cheered when they saw the paintings climb on stage in Khan Yenis and transfer to the Red Cross.
“Ofer returns home!” They said, their hands were raised to the sky.
Kalder’s two children, Erez and Sahar, were abducted by him and released during a short trial in November 2023. Family members said they could not recover from their temptation until their father returned.
Hamas released 3 Israeli and five Thai nationals in a chaotic situation in the handover of hostages in Gaza, which encouraged Israel to briefly delay more than 100 Palestinian prisoners.
“We are sorry it took so long,” said Eyal Kalderon. “We will soon be the whole family again. We hope that other families will soon feel that way to the last family.”
Out of approximately 250 people who initially abducted militants in October 7, more than 100 were released during a weekly truce in November 2023. About 80 are still in Gaza, and at least a third of them believed the dead.
Israel and Hamas have been set next week to start negotiating the second phase of the tribute, which requires the release of the remaining hostages and the extension of the tribute to the forever. The war could continue in early March if the agreement was not reached.
Israel says that it is still dedicated to the destruction of the Hamas, even after the militant group confirmed its authority over Gaza within a few hours of the latest ceasefire.
Hamas says he will not let go hostage without interruption of war and the completely Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
In October 7, which began the war, about 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians. More than 47,000 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s retaliation by air and ground war, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The Israeli army says she killed over 17,000 fighters without giving evidence. He blames civil deaths for Hamas because his fighters work in residential districts.
