Three Additional Hostages Freed in Ceasefire Agreement, Including U.S.-Israeli Dual National – One America News Network
OAN Staff Sophia Flores
11:51 AM – Saturday, February 1, 2025
The militant organization Hamas has freed three additional hostages as a part of its ongoing cease-fire agreement with Israel. Among those released were a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from North Carolina, a father whose children were taken and later released during a 2023 ceasefire-hostage deal, and the father of the youngest captive.
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On Saturday, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon were released from a Hamas detention. Two hours following their release, U.S.-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel was handed over by Hamas.
“Finally, after 484 long, terrifying days and nights, full of immense worry for our father, we can breathe again,” Siegel’s family stated. “Thank you, President Trump, for bringing our father back to us. There are now 79 hostages who are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. Our hope rests with you.”
Siegel, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7th, 2023, along with his wife Aviva, who had been released during a hostage agreement in November 2023.
His release marks him as the first American hostage freed under the new 42-day truce.
Kalderon, a French-Israeli citizen, was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz with his daughter and son. His children, Sahar and Erez, were released during the November 2023 hostage swap.
French President Emmanuel Macron took to X to express his relief regarding Kalderon’s return.
“Ofer Kalderon is free! We share the immense relief and joy of his loved ones after 483 days of unimaginable hell,” Macron wrote. “Our thoughts are with Ohad Yahalomi, still held by Hamas, and with his family. France is doing everything possible to secure his release promptly.”
Bibas was also abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz along with his wife Shiri and their young children, Ariel, who is 5, and Kfir, who was only nine months old at the time of the abduction.
The status of his beloved family remains uncertain. The terrorist organization claimed that Shiri and their two red-headed children had died. However, this group is notorious for playing psychological games by fabricating claims about hostage casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed “grave concerns regarding their wellbeing.”
As part of the current cease-fire agreement, Hamas was to release all female hostages first, followed by men over the age of 50 and those deemed unwell. A total of 33 hostages are slated for release in the first stage of this fragile ceasefire arrangement. It remains uncertain how many of those freed will be alive.
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