February 1, 2025 | Flash Brief

‘Welcome Them With a Big Embrace’: Three Hostages, Including American Citizen, Released After 484 Days in Hamas Captivity

February 1, 2025 | Flash Brief

‘Welcome Them With a Big Embrace’: Three Hostages, Including American Citizen, Released After 484 Days in Hamas Captivity

Latest Developments

  • Three Hostages Free: Israel welcomed home three hostages on February 1 who had been held captive in Gaza by the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization following its mass atrocities in Israel on October 7, 2023. In the fourth round of hostage releases since the beginning of the current ceasefire in Gaza, Ofer Calderon, 54, Yarden Bibas, 35, and American citizen Keith Siegel, 65, were freed by Hamas in exchange for Israel releasing 183 Palestinian prisoners, 18 of whom were serving life sentences. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement  that “We welcome them with a big embrace.”
  • Downsized Ceremony: The Hamas-orchestrated hostage release ceremony did not involve mobs of jeering Gazans as was the case with previous releases, although a giant screen behind the freed Israelis denounced “Nazi Zionism.”  Israel delayed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners in response to these scenes on Thursday, and sought assurances that future releases would not jeopardize  the hostage’s safety.
  • Bibas Family Members Remain in Captivity: While Yarden Bibas was released, his wife Shiri, and two young sons Ariel and Kfir, were not. Israel said that it was “deeply concerned” about the fate of the remaining members of the Bibas family, and have demanded to know their physical status. Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas are included in the list of remaining hostages to be released during phase one of the ceasefire. Israel has said that eight of those remaining are dead, though the identities of the deceased hostages have not been released by Hamas.   

FDD Expert Response

“With each release and each inhumane ceremony that accompanies them, fear and uncertainty grow among Israelis over how many of the remaining captives remain alive. Today, as we watched Yarden Bibas go free, our thoughts were with his wife and two small children, who remain in Gaza, with Hamas saying they were killed and Israel unable to verify this claim. Meanwhile, in exchange for three hostages, Israel released 183 Palestinian terrorists, some serving life sentences for horrendous terrorist attacks where hundreds of Israelis were murdered and maimed, illustrating an unsettling paradox: to save the lives of three of its citizens, Israel is forced to risk the deaths of hundreds more, as none of these terrorists have repented  nor will they.”Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“This latest hostage release is bittersweet for Israel. Yarden Bibas arrived home to learn that his wife and two small children are still in Gaza and that their fate is uncertain. There will be many similar stories for hostages who return alive, and, in the coming weeks, Israelis will also begin to see their hostages returning home in body bags, a sight that will be difficult for many of them to stomach    especially given the difficult concessions that Jerusalem made to reach this deal with Hamas.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Networks

“As it has done in previous exchanges, Hamas leveraged the hostage transfer to project an image of victory and survival to its base and the international community. However, this instance took a distinctive turn as Hamas seemingly sought to humiliate the IDF by reportedly allowing Shati battalion commander Haytham al-Hawajri, whom Israel had claimed was killed during the war, to participate in Keith Siegal’s transfer to Red Cross officials. Thus, the hostage transfers are an opportunity for Hamas to showcase its resilience, and it will continue to make a mockery out of each one until the last captive has left Gaza.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

FDD Background and Analysis

‘Scenes of Abuse and Terror’: Israeli and Thai Hostages Released Amid Threatening Mobs in Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief

Israel Releases 110 Palestinian Prisoners, Many Convicted of Terrorism, in Exchange for 8 Hostages,” FDD Flash Brief

Hamas Agrees to Release Three Additional Hostages as Israel Partially Lifts Netzarim Closure,” FDD Flash Brief

Issues:

Issues:

Iran Global Threat Network Israel Israel at War

Topics:

Topics:

Iran Israel Hamas Palestinians Israel Defense Forces Gaza City Jerusalem Mark Dubowitz Benjamin Netanyahu Terrorism American Red Cross