The Palestinian group Hamas has announced the planned release of three hostages on February 1: Yarden Bibas, an Israeli citizen; Keith Siegel, a U.S. passport holder; and Ofer Calderon, a French national. The statement was issued by Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, via Telegram.
"As part of the prisoner exchange agreement [with Israel], we have decided to release Ofer Calderon, Keith Siegel, and Yarden Bibas on February 1," Abu Ubaida stated.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that it had received the names of the hostages set for release from mediators. The Israeli government is currently reviewing the list and will provide a detailed response after notifying the families.
Previous Releases and Negotiations
On Thursday, Palestinian groups in Gaza released eight hostages in an additional exchange round—three Israelis and five Thai nationals. However, during the release, two Israeli hostages and the Thai nationals had to navigate through large crowds, and Red Cross vehicles faced delays leaving Khan Younis as Gazan residents blocked the way.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a temporary halt to the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners until Israel could ensure the safe transfer of hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Later, Israel received assurances from mediators regarding the safe passage of hostages. Following further negotiations, it was agreed that Palestinian prisoners would be released after 6:00 PM Moscow time on January 30.
Ceasefire and Exchange Agreement
A ceasefire in Gaza took effect on January 19. That same day, Palestinian groups freed the first group of hostages—three Israeli women—while Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners.
On January 25, four Israeli female soldiers were freed from Gaza. In return, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners:
114 returned to the West Bank,
16 were sent back to Gaza,
70 were deported to Egypt.
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Photo: Jose Antonio Alba\Pixabay
Based on TASS materials