The three men who were released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip on Shabbos reunited with their families in Israel in heart-wrenching scenes, captured on camera.
Yarden Bibas, 35, who was taken hostage with his family into the Gaza Strip during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, returned to Israel alone. Hamas claimed in November 2023, that his wife, Shiri, 33, and their two children— Ariel, 5 and Kfir, 2—had been killed.
Bibas was greeted by his father, Eli, and sister Ofri, at the IDF’s Re’im camp just outside the Strip, before flying by helicopter to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, where his mother, Pnina, was waiting for him.

His family issued a statement, saying, “Yarden is home. A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months. There are no words to describe the relief of holding Yarden in our arms, embracing him and hearing his voice.
Freed hostage Ofer Kalderon meets IDF troops.
“Yarden has returned home, but the home remains incomplete. Yarden is a father who left his safe room to protect his family, bravely survived captivity, and returned to an unbearable reality. At this time, we ask: Protect Yarden, protect his soul. Please respect his privacy and give him the space he needs so that his body and soul can begin to recover.”
A photo of Bibas on the helicopter holding a board with his handwriting was released to the public. “I thank all of the people of Israel for the support and help. I heard from my family that you fought for me and I want to say thank you, I really appreciate it, it’s not taken for granted,” it read.
Bibas ended the message with a happy birthday wish to his grandfather, who turned 90 today.
Keith Siegal, 65, a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen, was seen exiting the helicopter that carried him to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) with an Israeli flag wrapped around his shoulders, walking on his own after refusing a wheelchair.
He reunited with his wife, Aviva, who was among those who returned as part of the November 2023 exchange deal with Hamas. His daughter Shir shared a post on Instagram that read “Our father is home!!!”

Siegal’s nephew Gil was quoted by Ynet as saying, “We can finally breathe; this is truly a good and amazing morning. We are very happy. It feels like a dream, and we are waiting for the hug we have missed so much. In the photos, we saw Keith as we know and recognize him, full of strength and happiness. It’s good to see him on his feet. We’ve been through so much, and it’s just incredible to be together and experience this.”
Ofer Kalderon, 54, a dual Israeli-French citizen, was embraced by his partner and four children at Sheba Medical Center.
“I’m here, I’m here. I promised I would come back, I didn’t give up,” Ofer said sobbing.
“I promised I would save you and that you would come back,” his daughter Sahar told him.

Kalderon then laughed with his children and turned to his son Erez. “Get ready, I’m going to do a whole week of biking. We’re riding everywhere, okay?” he said.
Ofer’s brother Nisan Kalderon met him at the hospital as well, and told him, “I love you. You’re not going anywhere,” to which Ofer jested, “I had to go all the way to Gaza for you to say that?”
Before entering the hospital, Kalderon asked to stop the vehicle when he noticed his friends from his biking team, named “The Smurfs,” greeting him. His friends cheered at the sight of him, and he shouted back “I love you!”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a statement welcoming the three hostages.
“Yarden’s reunion with his family is heartbreaking. We are all deeply concerned for the fate of beloved Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who have found a place in all of our hearts. The people of Israel stand with Yarden and his entire family with great concern and in prayer,” Herzog said.
The president mentioned the return from captivity of two of Kalderon’s children in the first hostage swap with Hamas in November 2023. “Ofer’s children, Erez and Sahar, returned in the first deal to the embrace of their brave mother, Hadas, and the whole family,” Herzog remarked.
“Erez reached the age of bar mitzvah and was called to the Torah a few months ago, while his father was still in Gaza,” the president said. JNS
{Matzav.com}