With a sense of deep relief, we welcome home Ofer Calderon, Keith Siegel and Yarden Bibas after a horrifying 484 days in Hamas captivity. We are pleased that the three hostages abducted during the October 7, 2023, attack were released by Hamas on Saturday, Feb, 1 under an ongoing ceasefire deal with the terror group, returning to Israel 484 days after they were taken from their communities near the Gaza border and kidnapped to the Strip.
Ofer Calderon, 54, and Yarden Bibas, 35, were released to the International Red Cross in south Gaza’s Khan Younis on Saturday morning, and Keith Siegel, 65, was handed over almost two hours later at the Gaza City port.
Ofer Kalderon, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz and father of four, was abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during the attack that devastated the area. Along with him, two of his children, Sahar, 16, and Erez, 12, were also taken captive. While the children were released in November 2023 as part of a temporary ceasefire, Ofer was held for over a year under harrowing conditions.
After enduring what his family describes as “a nightmare” for months, Ofer was finally freed, alongside Yarden Bibas.
His family expressed “indescribable joy, relief, and emotion” upon his return, with a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum praising his strength and resilience. They highlighted how, despite the unimaginable circumstances, Ofer managed to hold onto hope and survive, driven by the desire to reunite with his children.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Kalderon’s release after “unimaginable hell” and called on the remaining French citizen, Ohad Yahlomi, to be freed. Ofer is a dual French and Israeli citizen.
Keith Siegel, originally from North Carolina, moved to Israel 40 years ago. He met Aviva, a kindergarten teacher originally from South Africa, and fell in love. They lived on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, close to the Gaza border, where he worked as an occupational therapist.
He is the first American citizen to be released as part of the current ceasefire agreement.
Keith’s 97-year-old mother, Gladys, passed away in December 2024 at an assisted-living facility in North Carolina, while Keith was still being held hostage in Gaza. The family chose to shield her from the knowledge of his captivity prior to her death.
In a social media post, Keith’s daughter, Elan Siegel, shared: “My grandmother passed away yesterday morning. My father’s mother is gone, and he couldn’t say goodbye to her because he’s been held captive by Hamas for over a year. Dad won’t be able to stand with us at the cemetery tomorrow or say goodbye to the woman who raised and loved him his entire life.”
Keith has four children of his own and five grandchildren. He is a calm person and an optimist and loves the outdoors.
On October 7, he and his wife were taken hostage and driven to Gaza in their car with a neighbor and her two children. Aviva was released on November 26 as part of a hostage-release deal. Keith remains, his ribs broken from being captured on October 7, his wife said.
Yarden Bibas, a welder and father of two, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, separately from his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel (then 4, now 5) and Kfir (then 9 months, now 2), the youngest hostages taken. During the Hamas assault on Nir Oz, Yarden tried to protect his family as terrorists breached their home, using drills to force their way into the safe room where they were hiding. As the intruders broke in, Yarden sent a final chilling message to his family: “This feels like the end.”
Known for his kind eyes, big smile, and good humor, he loved music and stand-up comedy. Footage released in April 2024 confirmed he was alive but bloodied during his capture, and he endured 484 days of brutal captivity, including confinement in tunnel cages, before his release, while his family’s fate remains unknown.
After his release, Yarden expressed his gratitude: “I thank all the people of Israel for their support and help. I heard from my family that you fought for me.”
He added, “Thank you very much—I deeply appreciate it. It is not taken for granted,” before ending with a heartfelt message: “Happy birthday, Grandpa.”
