In exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Israel and Hamas will execute their fourth prisoners-for-captives swap of the Gaza ceasefire on Saturday.
In a statement on Telegram on Friday, the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, named the three captives as Israeli-French citizen Ofer Kalderon, Israeli citizen Yarden Bibas and Israeli-American Keith Siegel.
Bibas, 34, is the father of Kfir, who was nine months old when the family was taken by Hamas in October 2023, and Ariel, who was four at the time.
There has been no Israeli confirmation on the fates of Kfir, Ariel or their mother, Shiri.
However, Hamas claimed in late 2023 that an Israeli bombardment in the first few days of the Gaza war claimed the lives of the children and their mother.
Siegel, currently in his 50s, was taken captive with his wife, Aviva, who was released by Hamas in the first captives-for-prisoners exchange in November 2023.
Kalderon, also in his 50s, was abducted by Hamas with his two children, Erez and Sahar. In that initial exchange, the children were released as well.
Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, reporting from Amman, Jordan, because Al Jazeera has been banned from operating in Israel, said the Israeli prime minister’s office said it has received and accepted the list.
She claimed that Israel will value Bibas’s release as being particularly symbolic and significant.
“He’s interesting for two reasons. One of the issues that Israel and Hamas had when negotiating was whether to release men under 50. At first, Hamas didn’t want to do that. They wanted to release civilians, women and youth first, but then they decided to]yield] to that point”, she said.
She claimed that the second factor was that Israelis had anticipated the release of Bibas, Siegel, and Kalderon as early as part of the ceasefire’s initial phase, which began on January 19th.
“However, they haven’t yet been released, and Israeli forces have said in the past that they are concerned about their wellbeing”, Khan said.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Media Office said 90 Palestinian prisoners, including nine serving life sentences and 81 serving long-term sentences, are to be released on Saturday as part of the swap.
In exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom have been serving life sentences in Israel, 33 of the prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza will be freed in accordance with the terms of the Gaza ceasefire.
So far, 15 captives held in Gaza, including five Thai workers, and 400 Palestinian prisoners have been exchanged.
After the release of three Israeli prisoners and five Thai prisoners, the release was postponed due to crowd fervor in one of the captive handover points.
Reporting from al-Rashid Street in Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said that for many Palestinians in Gaza, the return of the Palestinian detainees is a “deeply symbolic victory” that represents resilience.
He claimed that the chaotic circumstances surrounding the Thursday release of Israeli prisoners shocked many people.
He claimed that this includes Arbel Yehud’s release, which was criticized as being completely disorganized and lacking in the dignity required for such sensitive times.
In addition, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has received criticism in his country for failing to secure a captive-prisoner deal prior to the conflict, which gave Hamas-led fighters the opportunity to storm nearby Israeli communities and blow up the Gaza-Israel border.
However, the current agreement has drawn criticism from some in Israel, who claim Hamas still holds the position of being Gaza’s dominant force.
At least 1, 139 people were killed and more than 200 were abducted in the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s military response has killed more than 47, 000 Palestinian people in Gaza, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health.
During Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, some of the captives were found dead or alive in November 2023, compared to the only previous truce.
More discussions regarding the completion of the current truce’s second stage, which is scheduled to begin on March 1, are intended to pave the way for the release of more than 60 other captives, including military personnel and a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
Source: Aljazeera
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