Hamas to release 3 Israeli hostages in prisoner exchange
Members of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades gather outside Yahya Sinwar's house to release Israeli hostages within the hostage swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis, Gaza on January 30, 2025. (AA Photo)
Hamas is set to release three Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement designed to facilitate progress toward ending the 15-month-long Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Who are the hostages?
Among those expected to be freed are Yarden Bibas, the father of Kfir Bibas, who was just 9 months old when abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, and his 4-year-old brother Ariel.
In November 2023, Hamas claimed that both children and their mother, Shiri Bibas, had died in an Israeli airstrike.
Also included in the exchange are Keith Siegel, a U.S.-Israeli dual national, and Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli dual citizen. In return, 182 Palestinian prisoners and detainees will be released, according to Hamas.
