Saturday, February 01, 2025
From Ian:
Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, Keith Siegel free after 484 days in Gaza
Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, Keith Siegel free after 484 days in Gaza
Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel were freed on Saturday after 484 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.Hostages’ stories: Gadi Mozes paced 7km a day in tiny cell, soldiers rationed grains of rice
Palestinian terrorists handed over Bibas and Kalderon to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, in the Strip’s south, while Siegel was released in Gaza City.
“The government of Israel is committed to returning all of the hostages and the missing,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.
The statement concluded with a quote from the Bible: “I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel” (Jeremiah 15:21).
The Hostage and Missing Families Forum issued a statement saying: “Their release today brings a ray of light in the darkness, offering hope and demonstrating the triumph of the human spirit. Yet their return also reminds us that 79 hostages remain in Gaza, still waiting to be saved. We will not rest until every phase of this deal is completed and every hostage is returned—the living to reunite with their loved ones, and the deceased for proper burial with dignity.”
In exchange, Jerusalem on Saturday was set to free 183 Palestinian terrorists—18 serving life sentence, 54 serving lengthy terms and 111 arrested since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Freed hostage Yarden Bibas meets IDF troops, Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: Israel Defense Forces.
Bibas’s wife, Shiri, 33, and their two sons, Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, are on the list of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas, however, has claimed that Shiri and the children have been killed.
Kalderon, 54, a dual Israeli-French citizen, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, along with his son Erez, 12, and daughter, Sahar, 16. The children were among the 105 captives freed in November 2023 as part of a ceasefire-for-terrorists agreement.
Siegel, 65, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was taken from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Oct. 7 massacre. His wife, Aviva, was among those who returned as part of the November 2023 swap with Hamas.
Gadi Mozes, isolated, paced 7 kilometers a day in his two-square-meter room; female surveillance soldiers counted grains of rice to fairly divide the scant food they had between them; one hostage convinced her captors to film a propaganda video of her, hoping to offer her family a sign of life.What medical condition are the Thai nationals released from Hamas captivity
These are some of the stories emerging as newly freed hostages begin to recount to their families the hellish 15 months they spent as captives of Gaza terrorists, stripped of their autonomy, enduring abysmal conditions and uncertain of their fate as hour after hour ticked excruciatingly by, over the course of more than 470 days.
Channel 12 news reported Friday night on some of those harrowing experiences and the hardships, struggles and moments of bravery they entailed.
Mozes, 80, who was freed on Thursday from Hamas captivity, told family members that throughout 15 months he was never with other hostages. The first Israeli he met was 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud, as they were brought together a few days ago ahead of their joint release.
For some 70 days of his captivity, Mozes was in complete isolation, locked alone in a dark room, he said. He was moved between several apartments over the course of the war, and was not held in tunnels.
Mozes knew his longtime partner Efrat Katz had been murdered during the attack, and mourned her. But he did not know what had happened to his daughter Moran until being freed (Moran survived and met him Thursday upon his return).
For much of his time in captivity, the octogenarian was held in a two-square-meter (2.4-square-yard) room, in which he regularly paced some 7 kilometers (over 4 miles) every day, counting the tiles on the room floor and solving math problems to pass the time and keep his mind sharp.
His glasses were broken during the kidnapping, but after two months he managed to get new ones from his captors and was able to read two books.
At a certain point, Mozes said he decided to live one day at a time, and not think of release. Freed hostage Gadi Mozes reunites with his children (from left) Oded, Moran and Yair at an IDF facility near Re’im on January 30, 2025. (IDF)
Once every five days or so Mozes was given a bowl of tepid water to shower with, using a cup to pour the water over his head. He insisted on shaving himself, despite it being a messy and painful affair, as it was important to him not to neglect himself. Mozes lost some 15 kilograms in captivity, according to the network.
At some points, he feared he would be executed. In one instance, he was held in a hot pickup truck for 12 hours under Red Cross offices in the Gaza Strip, he said. Though he hoped he was being released, he was only being moved between hiding spots.
Following the arrival of the Thai national hostages from Hamas captivity on Thursday to the Shamir Medical Center, its director, Dr. Osnat Levzion-Korach, disclosed the details of their condition.
Regarding the condition of the released hostages, Dr. Levzion-Korach stated it was surprising to find that while the hostages "endured unimaginable horrors and harsh conditions, it appeared that those who have been released so far were relatively well cared for."
Dr. Levzion-Korach then elaborated on what is now to be expected for the released Thai hostages as they stay in the hospital for their recovery.
"The Thai citizens who arrived at our hospital are currently in good and stable condition, but we will continue to conduct comprehensive medical examinations alongside extensive psychological treatments as needed," she said.
"Over the next week, they [the Thai hosategs] are expected to stay here and recuperate. In addition to medical care, they will have sessions with psychologists and social workers," Dr. Levzion-Korach added.
She also emphasized, "It is important to remember that despite their good physical condition, they survived nearly 500 days of a horrific ordeal and will require long-term rehabilitation. Moving forward, we will assist them according to the guidelines we receive from the Thai embassy and the families of the hostages as they prepare to return to Thailand."
Dr. Levzion-Korach noted while there has been considerably "less focus" on the Thai hostages, the medical team at the Shamir Medical Center did not "neglect them for a moment."
"In the previous hospitalization [of the released hostages in November 2023], we provided dedicated care to 24 foreigners, including 23 Thai hostages and one Filipino. They received a great deal of respect and warmth from us, and we will once again ensure they receive comprehensive care and attention," she explained.
