Three men held hostage in the Gaza Strip for more than 15 months were freed Saturday, bringing to 18 the number of captives released by militants since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Jan. 19.
Among those freed was Yarden Bibas, 35, the father of the two youngest hostages in Gaza, whose plight has become a rallying cry for Israelis.
The other hostages released Saturday were American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, also household names in Israel after highly visible campaigns to free them.
In the ceasefire’s first phase, a total of 33 hostages in Gaza will be released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The ceasefire and release of hostages has sparked both hope and fear among Israelis. Many worry that the deal could collapse before all the hostages return, or that those released will arrive in poor health. Others worry that the number of captives who have died is higher than expected.
Some 250 people were taken hostage during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Around 80 remain in Gaza, although at least a third are believed to be dead. The others were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered.
Israel's military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters but says more than half were women or children.