By Mohammed Salem
GAZA (Reuters) -Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over Israeli hostages Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon on Saturday, with American-Israeli Keith Siegel expected to be transferred later in the latest stage of a truce aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza.
The Israeli military confirmed it had received Kalderon, a French-Israeli dual national and Bibas after the two were handed over to a Red Cross official in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
Siegel is expected to be handed over at the Gaza City sea port later on Saturday.
Bibas is the father of the two youngest hostages, baby Kfir, only 9 months old when he was kidnapped by Hamas-led gunmen on Oct. 7, 2023, and Ariel, who was 4 at the time of the cross-border attack.
Hamas said in November 2023 that the boys and their mother Shiri, who was taken at the same time, were killed in an Israeli airstrike. There has been no word on them since.
Israel is expected to transfer 182 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, Hamas said.
Saturday is also expected to see the first Palestinians travelling from Gaza to Egypt through the newly reopened Rafah crossing. It will be opened initially for 50 injured militants and 50 wounded civilians, along with the people escorting them, with a further 100 people, most likely students, probably allowed through on humanitarian grounds.
Saturday’s handover saw none of the chaotic scenes that overshadowed an earlier transfer on Thursday, when Hamas guards struggled to shield hostages from a surging crowd in Gaza.
Kalderon and Bibas both briefly mounted a stage in Khan Younis, in front of a poster of Hamas figures including Mohammad Deif, the former military commander whose death was confirmed by Hamas this week, before being handed over to the Red Cross officials.
Seventeen hostages, including five Thais freed on Thursday, have now been released in exchange for 400 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Negotiations are due to start by Tuesday on agreements for the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in a second phase of the deal.
During the first phase of the ceasefire, 33 children, women and older male hostages as well as sick and injured, were due to be released, with more than 60 men of military age left for a second phase which must still be negotiated.
The initial six-week ceasefire, agreed with Egyptian and Qatari mediators and backed by the United States, has so far stayed on track despite a number of incidents that have led both sides to accuse the other of violating the deal.
The Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 killed some 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s campaign in response has destroyed much of the densely populated Gaza Strip and killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities.
(Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
